RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark
by Marsa The Redeemed
Summary: The world of Remnant has a secret. A continent lost to history now discovered. Follow the tale of the hunters and huntresses from the ancient Kingdom of Valethornia. SYOC Story line with minor references to canon. Tentative T Rating. DOES NOT TAKE PLACE ON ANY CANON RWBY CONTINENTS
1. Prologue

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Prologue

A/N: Submissions are still open and will remain open until further notice. I've decided to start writing early because I feel I have enough characters at the moment for a few chapters. Thank you to everyone who submitted and I hope you enjoy my portrayal of your characters.

* * *

 _Iselia Forests, thirty-seven miles outside the kingdom of Valethornia_

The midnight air was cool as leaves softly rustled from the wind. Within the forest lurked the horrible creatures of darkness called Grimm. A lone figure was currently making their way through the trees in full sprint. Bounding with graceful strides the figure continued to run before suddenly sliding to a halt. The rapid approach of more footsteps and sounds of branches snapping cause the person to smile. Above the moonlight shone down from behind a passing cloud to illuminate the forest.

The figure, a young woman of above average height stood with her head held high and chest puffed out proudly. The pale silver glow of the night accentuated the young woman's features causing her olive hued skin to have an almost ethereal glow radiate from it. From her long voluminous dusky auburn colored hair which she currently had braided together into five separate locks to her pale green eyes which seemed to glow like a cats the young woman was a picture of beauty. In her hand she carried a silver and black long-sword which reflected the moon's light into the shadows.

A deep growl from the bushes nearby caused the girl's smile to widen. "Come now and face your judgement." She spoke with a playful tone in her voice while tightening the grip on her weapon. Suddenly a large black furred bear with multiple bone-like plates covering its body and bone protrusions running along its back charged forth from the trees with a loud roar. It was followed by two more bear creatures which were slightly smaller and had less bone-like protrusions and armor on their bodies. The large one never stopped its charge as it headed straight towards the young woman.

Never losing her smile the female warrior waited until the last possible moment before leaping high into the air and flipping over the bear. As quick as she could the woman struck out at the bears back hoping to hit it between the spines and armor plating but to no avail as the beast traveled beneath her and continued on its charging path. When she landed the swords-woman took but a moment to brace herself before running towards the two smaller bear like creatures. The monsters saw their potential prey heading in their direction and ran to meet it.

Sliding along the ground the woman barely dodged the claw of one of the bears while the other one snapped its jaws at her. As she slid between them however she swung her blade in an upwards arc cutting deep into one of the bears sides before standing up and bringing the blade fully through. The attack left a gash from the bears chest to its hind leg from which a thick dark black liquid began to flow. It was at this point the smile vanished from the warrior and her eyes hardened in anger. "Soulless monster, return to the darkness from whence you came." She spoke through clenched teeth before charging in once more.

This time however her opponents stood their ground by raising themselves onto their hind legs. With one bear to her left and another two the right the warrior steeled herself mentally and physically causing a soft green glow to appear around her. Raising her sword, the girl blocked the swiping claws of her attackers but was push downwards into the ground from the weight of the blows. Crying out with a fierce bellow the young woman then pushed the claws off her before turning her attention to the bear she had wounded with her previous attack.

She swung her blade multiple times giving the creature fearsome horizontal, diagonal, and vertical lacerations upon its body before finally leaping into the air and decapitating the beast. As its body began to dissipate the girl landed but was immediately thrown forward from a blow she received from behind. The second bear had recovered quicker than she anticipated and knocked her down but as she fell a large paw swept below and knocked her a few feet into the air. The largest bear creature that she had encountered first had stealthily made its way back into the fray.

The girl crashed into a nearby tree and tore the back of her long-sleeved steel-grey vest. As she slid down the trunk of the tree the vest was damaged further, and upon landing the girl discarded the article of clothing; before dusting off the black romper which she had worn underneath the vest. Silver sandals which strapped around her calves had splotches of dirt and mud on. She wiped blood from her mouth onto the back of one of her grey handwarmers before standing and readying herself for combat once more.

The two bears stared her down with the larger of the two making its way cautiously forward. The young woman pressed a hidden button on the grip of her sword and with a soft click the weapon split in half and folded down into a straight bow. The swords handle which had been designed for one-handed combat was double its original length. The edges of the blade pointed outwards with the fuller serving as both the upper and lower limbs.

The middle of the fuller was slightly hollow cable of medium thickness stretching from the tip of the top to the bottom. Pulling out a small vial with red powder the woman loaded the container into the center of the hand-grip before pulling back on the string. Three arrows of pure fire materialized from the bow and after it had reached it limit the woman released the strings sending fiery death towards the targets in front of her.

The larger bear shrugged off two of the arrows while the third arrow caught the smaller bear in the eye causing it to howl in agony. The girl used the window presented to her and began to run in a circle around the bears, firing arrows of flames at the targets. The large bear roared defiantly as only a small amount of arrows slipping between the cracks of its natural bony armor while its companion let out a death knell after the woman's second lap around them, finally succumbing to the damage dealt upon it.

With two-thirds of her foes down the young woman stopped running and turned to face her final opponent. The large bear which had taken minimal damage throughout the entire altercation glared hatred at the woman before bellowing a challenging roar from its throat. The girl smiled once more but kept the hardened look in her eye.

Pressing the release on her weapon the young warrior switched the red vial which was about three-fourths empty with a new vial containing purple powder. With the press of a button the bow transformed back into its sword form. Getting into her combat stance the auburn-haired fighter locked gazes with the jet-black beast in front of her before activated her swords function causing the edges to glow bright violet.

Exhaling heavily the woman waited as the wind blow causing a swirling of leaves. At the very moment the wind died down she charged forward at full speed. The bear which had anticipated the charge readied itself. It was a split second decision that the girl made when she struck out with her sword, cleaving the massive beast diagonally from shoulder to waist. The decision was all that had stopped her from losing her head as the beast's claw ran along her cheek leaving a long thin cut along it from the bottom of her chin to slightly above the cheekbone.

As her foe fell to the ground and dissipated the girl also dropped to one knee breathing heavily. The sound of clapping filled the air causing the girl to look up. Standing on the branch of a nearby tree was a man. He wore a blindfold and a scarf covered the lower half of his face. He wore a sleeveless black vest with nothing underneath showing off his lithe muscular structure. His skin from what she could tell with the help of the fading moonlight was cream-colored.

His pants were slightly loose which she could only guess was to help his movement. He wore matching greaves and bracers which showcased his fighting style as a martial artist. "So…are you the final part…of my test?" the girl spoke breathlessly. She knew if she had to fight again she would lose but nevertheless would do it anyway if forced.

The man shook his head before speaking. "No, I am not." He answered causing the young girl to sigh with relief. "Not many trainees could take on an ursa major with two ursa minors at the same time but you were able to pull it off spectacularly with minimal damage to yourself. I'm impressed." He told the girl speaking clearly even though his mouth was covered. There was a moment of silence between them before the man suddenly appeared before the girl in a swirl of leaves. "Sable Agrotera, it is my pleasure to officially welcome you to Valethornia Academy." The man said offering his hand to the girl.

* * *

A/N: Drop a review to show your support. Character submission are still open.


	2. Chapter I

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter I: The Valethornian Way

A/N: Character submissions are still open, and the template can be found on the first page. Check out my other SYOC stories if you haven't yet.

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy – Atrium_

It was the start of a new year at Valethornia Academy and its atrium was packed with eager young men and women hoping to gain entrance into the prestigious academy. Valethornia, which had once been the most powerful of all kingdoms, had faded into legend over the years and its place on Remnants world maps erased from history. The Valethornians however used this to their advantage knowing that the deadliest threat was the one you didn't know existed. Its government was a structured monarchy with clearly outlined lines of succession. The military forces it had in reserve widely outclassed the other nations and its advance technology would put Atlas to shame.

It was here at Valethornia academy the hunters and huntress of new generations were trained. Qualification for enrollment started at sixteen with students graduated within three years at the earliest or staying on for specialized training. Within the current group of potential hunters and huntresses a young woman stood near the front waiting for the headmistress to appear. The girl was medium height standing around four feet seven inches or so with golden-tan colored skin. Her hair was dark brown, almost black as well as long, coming down to her waist. She kept it styled loose with a headband holding back some of her bangs.

She was currently wearing a fairly casual attire. Her top was a silver V-neck shirt underneath a black vest that was only partially buttoned up exposing ample amounts of cleavage from her breasts. She wore black fingerless gloves on each hand with metal studs in the knuckles. Across her chest from right shoulder to left hip was a single strap bandolier that also attached to her belt. On the back of the bandolier a large scabbard was attached housing double-bladed broadsword that was only about a half -foot shorter than its bearer.

She wore a black A-line denim miniskirt that came down to just above her knees. The skirt was slightly loose fitting so as not to restrict the girl's movements. Her footwear consisted of black combat sneakers with a silver-colored metal trim going around the base. The young woman held herself with a confidant stance as her hazel-colored eyes scanned the crowd of other students. _**I wonder how many of them will even make it through to graduation.**_ She thought to herself.

Suddenly the crowd got quieter as multiple figures appeared on the stage near the center of the atrium. Standing in the middle of the group of five adults was a middle-aged woman. She had piercing ice-blue colored eyes and snow-white colored hair. "Initiates!" the woman suddenly barked causing complete silence to blanket the crowd as the few who had still been talking turned their attention completely to the woman.

"You are all here for one thing and one thing only, to become the ultimate Grimm slaying hunter or huntress you can be." The woman began to speaking scanning the crowd's reaction."Many of you come here from prestigious families or with years of combat school training but let me tell you one thing, at this very moment all of that means shit." She continued. "I won't sugarcoat this because you all choose to be here. At this academy in the heart of the Valethornian Kingdom we will do our absolute best to break you."

The young woman in the crowd smiled as people around her began to shift uncomfortably. "Hunters and huntress are strong and this path is not for the faint of heart. There is a very real chance many of you won't live to see thirty choosing this path. You must be ever vigilant and alert because one mistake could very well be your last." The woman on stage continued. Sounds of whimpering could be heard throughout the crowd as some of the people began to realize exactly what they had gotten themselves into.

"The training regimen we drill into you is brutal, but should you choose to stay and try to complete the entrance exam know that once you're enrolled that you only have two choices for leaving, graduation or death." The woman said with full seriousness. At this many of the potential students began retreating from the crowd.

"There is a reason why the might of our military is strong, and it is because only the best of the best can be in it. If you value your lives, then I strongly recommend you to leave and seek out training at a different institute." The woman stated coldly causing more people to leave.

"If however, you believe you have what it takes to be a hunter or huntress I welcome you to stay but if you believe you have what it takes to be more than what you can and to reach beyond your potential, then I challenge you to step forward. Let me see the strength of your will." the woman finished.

At this the young girl from the crowd, which had thinned out by almost two-thirds stepped forwards along with about a dozen or so others. The woman onstage looked at those who had stepped forward and laughed jovially with a proud grin. "That's the spirit, that's the Valethornian way!" she exclaimed.

Her eyes which had been hardened during her speech were now ablaze with enthusiasm. "The first trial for your initiation begins now. All of you follow these instructors to the testing area." The woman instructed before leaving the stage.

The young girl watched the woman walk off as the remaining student-hopefuls began to follow the instructors. One instructor in particular caught the girl's attention. A blindfolded man with buzz cut hair who wore a scarf that covered a majority of his face and upper torso. He was wearing a black vest opened in the front along with black pants that she could tell were meant for unrestrictive movement. The bracers and greaves he wore however were what interested her the most. Hurrying after the group she made her way to the man ignoring the hushed whispers of the people around her.

"Aren't you Tenebrous Tauron, the Faunus huntsman responsible for completing the legendary thousand-Grimm survival?" she asked loudly causing most of the crowd to turn their attention towards the man. The man turned towards the girl and although she couldn't see his expression she somehow knew that he was grinning. "Who knows, they say Tenebrous died years ago." He answered simply before continuing onwards.

Feeling slightly dejected the young girl followed along with the crowd. The group eventually reached a massive tram station and were split into four different groups and assigned a different tram car. There were no seats only harnesses and after everyone had strapped in did something finally happen.

"Adaptation is a key skill of survival. For your first trial you must survive the next seventy-two hours in Iselia forest. Do anything and everything you can in order to achieve this goal, even if it means you must fight one another." The woman's voice from before spoke over a loud speaker.

When she finished speaking all four trams suddenly blasted off down their rails. The immediate effect of the g-forces being applied to everyone was apparent. Many passed out in seconds while others faded in and out of consciousness. The young woman grits her teeth and did her best to remain alert but could feel her mind shutting down. Suddenly a few of the students were encased in capsules before being jettisoned upwards into the sky. The young girl realized exactly what was happening only moments later when she herself was encased and launched. As she rocketed upwards one final thought played in her mind: _**This is the Valethornian way.**_

* * *

A/N: Drop a review, submit a character. I'll start writing longer chapters after establishing the characters who will make up the bulk of the story. Shout out and thanks to the creator of this OC, she was really interesting to write.


	3. Chapter II

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter II: Because I Felt Like It

A/N: So the naming convention I'm using for the chapters of this story kind of mimics the naming structure that Project X Zone 1 & 2 use for the stage names.

* * *

 _Iselia Forest_

 _Pain. Hunger. Thirst._ These three thoughts were the first things that entered the young man's mind as he awoke. He didn't know how much time had passed since the tram from Valethornia Academy had rocketed him along with the other academy hopefuls deep into the Iselia forest miles outside of the Gorsentine, the capitol city of the Valethornia Kingdom. Pushing the front of the capsule away from his body the young man looked up at the sky and saw that the sun had moved slightly from its previous position, suggesting he had only been unconscious for about an hour.

Shaking his head to try and clear his mind the young man looked around taking in his surroundings. A sudden gust of wind blew through his obsidian colored neck-length hair pushing the two bangs on the right side of his face back and over the side causing the man to smile and his dark purple eyes to radiate a happy glow. "The wind, my ever faithful companion" he spoke as a soft whirlwind surrounded his body sending leaves dancing into the air. There was a disturbance in the air which caused the man to draw his weapons, a pair of chakram-like disks from their holders on his belt. A small black two-legged creature came soaring through the air at the boy. At its basic core it looked like a mouth on legs but upon further inspection the young man could see eyes on the creatures face as well as a long powerful looking tail.

"Hn, a fucking creeper huh." The boy stated with a cocky smirk pressing a hidden button on the handles of his weapons. The circular blades of the two disk immediately released and rotated into twin single straight edged sabers. "Come on then bastard, show me what you got." The man challenged. Beneath his dark magenta vest which he wore over his dark forest green button-up dress shirt complete with black tie his muscles rippled as he prepared himself for the fight ahead.

The creeper had landed and charged its prey gnashing its teeth as a form of intimidation. Still smirking the young man easily dodged the creatures bite and swung both his blades down at full force immediately slicing the creature into three parts and killing it. No sooner had it started to dissipate when three more appeared from the tree line. "Almost forgot you fuckers travel in packs." the warrior spoke swinging his blades expertly. "Well come on then I don't have all day!" he exclaimed before running at the three new creepers.

Wind billowed around the cuffs of his custom black suit pants and aided his movements by removing the resistance his onyx-colored dress shoes as he ran. Swinging the blade in his left hand quickly in an X-shaped formation the man killed one of the new creepers before slashing upwards with the right weapon straight up and slicing another in half.

Two creepers down in less than four seconds and as the last one lunged with its jaws spread wide the young man's smirk never vanished and with a simple gesture summoned a concentrated bullet of compressed air to slam itself into the creature's side and through it off course into a nearby tree. The combatant however never missed a beat and was upon his foe in seconds impaling it upon both blades and killing it.

The entire confrontation was over in less than three minutes. Exhaling slowly the young man transformed his swords back into their chakram form before placing them onto his belt once more. "Alright so the old lady said we have to survive out here for the next seventy-two hours using any means necessary. My best bet would be to find an ally and make camp." The boy mused while looking through the capsule which had delivered him for anything of use. Inside he found an emergency first aid kit that contained three nutrition bars.

"These'll keep me going for a few hours but if I want to keep my strength at optimum levels I should probably forage around for some edible plants, or maybe hunt some game." He continued to muse allowed leaving the landing site. Upon a few trees he used the wind to cut a special mark into their trunks so that he might find his back if he needed to. The forest was a hub of activity as the lives within it went about their daily routine.

From the way the air currents traveled the young warrior was able to pick up a variety of scents including that of a wild pig. Knowing that preparation for meat would take a while the young man began to track the pig down. The trail led him over a boulder cluster and through wolf territory but he was able to avoid most hazards thanks to clever usage of wind manipulation. After about an hour and a half he finally caught up to his target. The wild pig was bigger than he had imagined and had two sets of tusks causing the slightest feeling of apprehension to flow through the man's veins.

Steeling his nerves, the man brought out his weapons and transformed them into their sword form. Once in their sword form he pressed another button which slightly extended each grip before connecting the two weapons into a double-bladed spear. Cautiously making his way forward the hunter made sure to keep his scent downwind of the pig, approaching it from behind. The sudden snap of twigs off to the side however ruined any plans he had of trying to get a quick kill as the pig turned its attention towards the sound and saw him out the corner of its eye.

Snorting and grunting loudly the pig immediately got itself into charging position and quickly rushed its would-be attacker. Fortunately, the young man had the protection of the trees and the pig had to work its way around the trunks to get to him. Swinging its head from side to side the pig desperately tried to gore or impale the human male in front of it before pulling back. As it did so however, the hunter leapt from cover and swung his weapon twirling it and his body to perform multiple lacerating slices on the pig's hide.

Two of the cuts had cut deep enough to draw thin trails of blood while the others merely scratched the surface. The young hunter landed behind the boar and turned as quick as he could in order to try and stab the beast but was instead met with two cloven hooves to the chest. He was sent flying backwards and felt at least two ribs break from the force of the kick.

While the wind had cushioned most of the blow the proximity and strength of the creature had been enough to break through the hunter's defenses. Landing hard against the ground the man was dazed and could feel his strength fading. It had taken most of his power to create the shield wall defense. The amount of concentration needed to construct something of that magnitude coupled with his injuries leaving him both physically and mentally weary.

He struggled to his feet as the pig charged him once more. The hunter was able to dodge again and avoid any fatal injuries however, the pig's tusks caught him on the thigh cutting deep into the muscle. As he crashed to the ground knowing his leg would never support the young man thought back to the speech the old woman had given earlier that day.

"Damn, this is fucking embarrassing. I'm not even going to be killed by a Grimm." He scoffed coughing heavily. The pig began charging once more and as the young man counted the second until his death he missed the multitude of arrows flying forth from the top of a nearby tree and taking down the pig as all the projectiles caught it unaware and killed it instantly. Feeling his consciousness fade the last sound the hunter heard before everything went black was the soft sound a stringed instrument.

"Ahhhhhh!" a voiced cried out as a confused young man awoke. He had been lain down on the ground a few feet away from a fire. Looking around the young man tried to get his bearings. It was dark outside so he knew instantly that a significant amount of time had passed. Turning his head to the side he caught sight of the remains of the giant pig which he had hunted.

"You shouldn't move around too much; you'll mess up your bandages." An emotionless voice spoke from the shadows. A few seconds later a young man appeared carrying twigs and tree branches for the fire. The first thing the wounded hunter noticed about the stranger before him was the harp-like instrument his savior carried.

"Please don't tell me you killed the pig and saved my life with a harp" he spoke with a joking tone.

"I won't tell you that, because this is a lyre." The young man answered as he tended to the campfire. There was silence between the two of them for a few minutes before the injured man inched his way closer to the fires warmth.

"So do you always go around saving random strangers?" he asked the musician.

The lyre-wielding man shook his head. "No, saving you was in my best interests." He answered flatly.

Turning to face the musician the injured man's face bore a confused expression. "In your best interest, in what way?" he asked, seeking clarification.

"After observing your fight with the creeper pack as the way you tracked the pig down and your near-successful attempt at killing it I came to the conclusion that by sticking with you I'll increase my chances of survival. Since I saved your life, you have what society calls a life debt to me." The man explained tuning his lyre as he spoke.

The injured man laughed loudly at the response. "Impressive, we are supposed to use any means necessary to get through this it's all fair game." He joked. The musician looked up at the man and briefly for a split second smirked at the joke.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" the recovering warrior inquired.

"Technically you just did but I don't mind." The other man replied as he began playing a soft musical tune on his lyre.

The first man sat himself and looked directly at the musician. "Well you don't really seem like the type to want to be put in danger, so why did you come to this academy out of all the other in the kingdom?" he inquired with a slight hint of seriousness in his tone.

The musician was quiet for a while before meeting the other man's gaze and simply replied with "Because I felt like it".

* * *

A/N: my drive for this story is actually quite insane. with the characters already submitted i already know which direction id like to go. drop a review and give me some feedback on how you like the story so far. also the submission for characters is still open if you'd like to see your oc appear sometime. Thanks goes out to the two users who submitted the OCs introduced here.


	4. Chapter III

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter III: My name is …

A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews and character submissions. I think I might be nearing the point where I can't accept anymore. From instructors to hunters and villains I have been given a very diverse set of characters to use. From the bottom of my heart I thank you all.

* * *

 _Iselia Forest_

As dawn broke over the tree horizon of trees the sounds of the forest waking up filled the air. Slate gray eyes opened to the sounds of birds tweeting and crickets chirping. "Well, that's one day down. Only two to go." A dark gravel-toned male voice spoke as the figure stood up. As he walked away the scene he left behind him was one of chaos as four bodies, mutilated beyond recognition bathed the trees and grass. Dried blood cracked and flaked off the man's body as he faded into the shadows.

 _Elsewhere_

"Gaaaahyaa!" a young man's voice exclaimed loudly causing a nearby flock of birds to fly off. The small lithe body of the young man was drenched in sweat. He looked around and saw that the fire from last night had died down to smoldering embers and the man he had rescued was awake and staring at him.

"Are you ok, you were tossing and turning something fierce." The man said to him a small hint of concern in his eyes. The young man turned away pushing his silvery grey sweaty hair away from his face.

"It's nothing, just a bad dream is all." He answered with a hint of indifference before standing. Stretching his muscles, the man reached down and picked up his black suit jacket and silvery-gray button-down shirt which he had folded down to use as a pillow.

"We should make a perimeter around the camp. We have enough meat to last us the next two days and we are near the river for water." He spoke as he dressed.

"You know; it would help if we introduced ourselves properly. My name is Jett, Jett Volus, what's yours?" the young man named Jett inquired as he extended his hand. The other person looked at the hand and scoffed before picking up his lyre.

"Do not mistake this for friendship or camaraderie. We are simply doing what is in our best interests to survive. Knowing each other's name doesn't help that process. If you must call me then just say 'you' or 'lyre guy'." He stated with a sense of aloofness about him.

Jett lowered his hand slightly dejected. "Whatever floats your boat, music man." He said with a slight shrug. "I'll have to change the bandages on my leg first but after that let's head out and secure the camp." He stated as he began unraveling the bandages that held the wound on his leg closed.

Pulling out the first aid kit Jett set to work changing the bandages but first applying antiseptic spray on and around the wound. Next he put on the coagulation cream to aid in the wounds closing. He finished up with a bandage patch before wrapping his leg in fresh bandages.

The musician warrior had been silent the entire time as he checked the arrows in the quiver on his back. "You shouldn't exert yourself too much. Your leg may be healing well but don't forget the damage to your ribs." He mentioned offhandedly as he strapped the quiver to his back.

Jett merely chuckled and stood up stretching his arms above his body. He applied weight to his damaged leg to ensure it would be able to support him.

"Careful, you sound like you might be caring about my well-being." He joked. Satisfied that he would be able to move without much difficulty Jett strapped his chakrams to his waist and set off towards the trees on the west side of the camp.

"We'll meet back up here in two hours after gathering materials for traps and alarms." Jett's nameless companion informed him. "The perimeter should be about fifty-feet so it encompasses the river and the edible vegetation. Try not to injury yourself further, you're no use to me incapacitated or dead." He stated simply.

Jett shrugged and began walking off in the opposite direction. "Music man, you are way too high strung. You need to relax and smell the roses once in a while." The young man said before whistling a jovial tune leaving his companion alone at the camp.

The lyre wielding warrior shook his head. Jumping onto a nearby tree and grabbing the low hanging branch nearby, he pulled himself upward and started to climb the trunk. Reaching the uppermost branches, the young hunter pulled an arrow from his quiver before pressing a hidden button near the yoke of the lyre.

A soft click was heard before the lyre popped out and open. The strings which had run up and down instead of right to left twanged to the back while the yoke separated and stretched upwards and downwards to accommodate the extension of the sound-box's transformation into a grip and the arms into bow limbs.

The entire process took less than two seconds to complete and once it was finished a small short-bow was held in the young man's hand where his lyre use to be. From the arrow the man pulled out a small vial of grey colored dust and sprinkled it on the weapon and the projectile before notching the arrow.

He chose a tree that was a few meters out before releasing his arrow. A musical twang resonated through the air as the arrow flew through the sky. As it traveled the grey dust that it had been sprinkled with began to fall. Semi-transparent platforms formed in the air and stayed suspended making a path from one tree all the way to the one that the arrow hit.

Jumping on the first platform the bowman ran along the path to the next tree pulling out a green arrow as he ran. Once he made it to the opposite side he jammed the arrowhead deep into the tree trunk burying the shaft. From the notch point of the arrow dozens of strings burst out as a web stretching to nearby trees and down to the ground. "Two or three more of these should be sufficient."

He mused before pulling out a duplicate arrow as the first one. He applied the grey dust to it and began the process once more. Going from tree to tree and ensuring that he covered the crucial areas, the bowman let himself smiled softly.

 _My trap making skills are sub-par at best but with this web of alarms, we'll be able to tell when Grimm are in the vicinity._ He thought to himself as he dropped to the ground. The entire process had taken a little less than forty-five minutes to complete which gave him ample time to scrounge up some edible vegetation.

He started near the river and from there began gathering acorns, mushrooms, apples, and junga fruit. Everything was held in his coat that he used as a makeshift knapsack. Sitting down beneath a well-shaded tree the bowman pulled out one of the apples and bit into loudly. The tart-sweetness of the fruit's juices flowed over his tongue as the tender flesh entered into his mouth.

The relatively peaceful and serene quiet of the forest allowed the young man to relax. He knew he had a few more minutes before he would have to head back to camp and decided that a quick nap wouldn't hurt. Ensuring that his Grimm detection web was still in place the young man closed his eyes and drifted off in slumber.

" _ **Eurydice!" a small child cried out.**_

 _ **"There are too many of them, we need to run away!" the child exclaimed as he pulled on a woman's shirt.**_

 _ **The woman looked down at the boy with a half-frightened smile.**_

 _ **"Run away, I'll buy you time little brother." She said softly, but the young child shook his head spraying tears everywhere.**_

" _ **Eurydice, you have to run as well or they'll get you!" he screamed at his sister.**_

 _ **"Do not worry, I'll thin them out a bit and follow right behind you. I promise you I'll always be with you." Eurydice said kneeling to her brother's level before kissing his forehead softly.**_

 _ **"Now run, run and never look back." She whispered softly pushing him away slightly and readying her weapon.**_

 _ **The boy was scared but he trusted his sister. She had never once lied to him or broken a promise. She was the strongest huntress ever and without him there to distract her he knew she would win.**_

 _ **"Keep running brother, and don't look back!" he heard his sister's voice exclaim over the sounds of fighting.**_

 _ **Closing his eyes, the boy ran on at full speed. Suddenly everything went deathly quiet. The sound of fighting and of the boy's running stopped. He heard nothing but the piercing shriek of his sister's voice. Opening his eyes, the boy broke the one rule his sister had given him and he looked back.**_

 _ **The scene he saw in front of him was nothing short of monstrous. An alpha beowolf had its jaws around his sister's throat, crushing the life out of her. As she struggled in vain to remove the beast smaller beowolves grabbed her limbs and brutally ripped them from her body. A gurgled scream escaped from her throat as she turned her head to see her brother starting at her.**_

 _ **Tears running down her face the girl smiled, softly and weakly as if it took all her strength to do so.**_

 _ **"Run my brother…run and live…for the…both of…us…" she gasped out before the alpha ripped her head clean off her body.**_

"EURYDICE!" came the pained yell clear through the forest.

A large man with dark grey skin turned towards the sound and smiled to himself.

"Fresh meat at last. Come Fenrir, it is time to feed." He spoke in a gravel-tone as if someone was scratching sandpaper together in his throat.

He carried a giant broad cleaver over his shoulders, easily longer than his body by a full length with ease. The weapon was of simple design with two cut outs along its blade, a circle close to the top and a semi-circular one nearer the handle. The handle of the weapon was easily three hand lengths with its grip a different color than the rest of the handle being dull grey compared to the shimmering silver.

As he trudged through the forest he could hear the sound of someone crying causing a demented smile to grace his face. "Don't waste those tears, I haven't hurt you yet!" he exclaimed breaking into a full sprint as he homed in on the sound. Breaking through the trees with unbelievable strength the man saw the source of the crying. It was a young man no older than six-or-seventeen.

He had neck-length hair that had a slight downward spike and was silvery-gray in color. His eyes were slightly more shocking and out of the ordinary. Although they were shedding tears the blue-amber irises were sharp and alert. This was person before him was a warrior unlike the prey from last night. And although his clothes a silvery-gray button-down shirt with black dress pants and gray dress shoes didn't broadcast it, he knew that this man would not go down easily.

Swinging his sword, the deranged man was actually able to land three slashes on his target unfortunately, the last hit knocked the young man away from him. And into a nearby tree. Stepping forward the swordsman felt something squish beneath his combat boots. Looking down he saw a black jacket that had been stuffed with food and sneered before stomping multiple time on the garment and turning its contents to mush.

"No need to have that shit around since you're going to die here and now." The swordsman cackled. His target had just gotten to his feet and shakenly readied his weapon, a bow. "You're too slow!" the swordsmen exclaimed dashing forwards and slicing at the young man.

The bowman's eyes widened, from fear or surprise was anyone's guess as the crescent cut of the blade slammed into his neck and lifted him off the ground before pinning him to a tree. "Your aura levels are extremely high. You took four of my attacks and I still haven't broken through your defenses. I can tell we'll have much fun together." The swordsman said in a mocking tone.

The bowman struggled to remove the blade as he felt his aura drain to keep his neck and head safe from decapitation.

"Why are you doing this?!" he asked, mostly gasping the question out as he could begin to feel the pressure of the blade push against his windpipe.

His attacked cocked his head to the side confused.

"Why? You want to know why?!" he cried out and roughly pulled the sword away before burying it headfirst into the ground. "Fenrir, he wants to know why!" the man exclaimed before kneeling to the ground where the bowman was currently coughing and gasping for air.

"I'll tell you why," the man began before grabbing the bowman by the hair and lifting him up. At full height the swordsman easily stood close to seven feet tall towering over the bowman.

"Because I fucking feel like it!" he finished slamming his fist into the smaller man's abdomen.

Spittle and air burst forth as the wind was literally knocked out of the small young bowman. The bigger man however did not stop and proceeded to relentlessly and mercilessly beat the young warrior.

 _I'm going to die here. He is going to kill me. I don't want to die. Someone save me. Please save me._

"SOMEBODY SAVE ME PLEASE!" the bowman cried out desperately.

At this the swordsman stopped the beating and dropped the bloodied young man.

"No one is gonna save you kid. This isn't a fucking fairy tale. Grow the fuck up and die." He said raising his sword out of the ground.

The bowman looked up with fear in his eyes. "I…I…I don't want to die." He whispered as the blade came crashing down.

CLIGANG!

The sound of metal striking metal resonated through the forest. "Music man run now!" the young bowman heard Jett's voice yell. Opening his eyes which had closed in fear the young bowman saw Jett, the young man he had saved fighting the swordsman. Despite his injuries Jett was holding his own against the man. His weapon was in its double bladed spear form and wind was currently billowing around the area.

Breaking off from the engagement Jett placed himself between his companion and the large attacker. "Music man, you have to run. Your aura is gone. If you take even a single hit, you'll be killed." Jett told the man holding his weapon defensively. The bowman looked up at his savior and saw that the wound on his leg had reopened. "Jett, your leg wound. You'll never be able to beat him with it.

Jett chuckled and gave the bowman a cocky smile. "You don't think I fucking know that. I'm not an idiot. All you have to do is run away. Get far enough away and survive till the next trial." Jet stated.

"Jett, you'll die!" the bowman cried out feeling tears come to his eyes.

"Yea, dying will be a bummer, but you'll live. You can live for the both of us." Jett stated as his weapon transformed. It was now a four pronged shuriken that looked kind of like a windmill. "I should be able to hold him off for a while. Make sure you just run and don't look back." Jett said never taking his eyes off the opponent in front of him.

The swordsman for the most part was pacing back and forth as he tried to find a solution to the problem in front of him.

" _ **Keep running brother, and don't look back!"**_

" _ **Run my brother…run and live…for the…both of…us…"**_

"Sorry Eurydice, but I can't run anymore." The bowman stated as he rose to his feet. Jett heard his companion and grit his teeth. "Don't be a fool. This Eurydice person is important to you right? Live for their sake if not for your own." He spat out.

The bowman let out a rare chuckle and pulled out three arrows. "Eurydice is dead and I'll be damned if I let my friend die the same way she did." He stated as his eyes hardened.

The swordsman looked at the two opponents in front of him and smiled. "Yes! YES! FUCK YES!" he exclaimed swinging his sword above his head. "FENRIR!" he cried out and the air was filled with howling. Jett looked around for the source before realizing it was coming from the swinging blade.

As the weapon swung round and round it transformed splitting in two. Jagged blades sprung from the fuller on both sides of the blades inside running along its length while the straight edge became serrated. When its transformation ended the blade was a fearsome sight to behold with the top of it looking like a giant wolf's head.

"Now then let's get this party started, shall we." The swordsman taunted daring the duo to step forward.

Gathering wind around him Jett met the man's gaze and smirked. "So music man, you ready to you know, face the music.?" He asked the bowman behind him. "That was a terrible joke, and my name isn't music man." He stated flatly but with the hint of happiness in his tone. "Oh really then what is it?" Jett asked. The bowman notched the three arrows he had taken out and drew them back along the bow. "My name is…"

* * *

A/N: That's a wrap. Thank you for the characters. For anyone who still wants to submit a character and for those who have already made submissions, here's a word of caution. I don't write traditionally meaning the evil/bad characters don't always lose in my stories nor are they always just killed for the sake of plot. I have killed plenty of good guys for various reasons will likely kill a few in this one. The whole theme being that the characters must choose for themselves which path to take, given their personalities and biography.


	5. Chapter IV

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter IV: Down Not Out

* * *

 _Iselia Forest_

The sound of battle filled the forest air as the clanging of metal against metal reverberated across through the trees. A young man with dark mahogany hued skin and dark brown, almost black short hair with an odd braid hanging off the left side stopped his trek through the wooded area. He had been lucky so far to avoid confrontation. The sounds currently echoing through the forest however foretold of a great battle happening. Closing his eyes, the young man clasped his hands together and began to pray.

"Solunia, goddess of the sun and moon, grant me sight beyond sight and show me the truth!" he exclaimed before opening his eyes which had changed from a deep purplish-orchid to being completely white.

Images began flooding the boys view as he saw three distinct auras in the distant. One of the auras was purplish black and dripping. It was currently attacking the other two auras; one which was a swirling frenzy of pale green; while the other was pale and calm. The second aura was a lot weaker than the first and looked on the verge of dissipating entirely but still it fought against the purplish black aura that confronted it.

Gritting his teeth, the young man began running through the tree. Righteous fury filled his body at the thought of fellow students trying to kill one another. He knew that this trial was meant to test survival skills but that didn't mean he had to sit back and watch people die.

He thought back to the previous day and how he had helped many of the other Valethornian Academy student candidates. With his ability to see the truth behind people's intentions the young man had chosen targets based off their auras before lending them assistance. One group he had found was having trouble securing food so he hunted some rabbits for them. Another person had been injured trying to escape Grimmm and he leant his aid by bandaging them up.

Only twice had the young man had to fight against others, but each time it was in defense of someone else. _This time would be no different from the others._ He thought to himself as he closed in on the battle's location.

Readying his weapon, a silvery-whit metallic bow, the man jumped through the trees and pulled back on the bowstring. He carried no quiver but four arrows materialized as the bowstring was pulled. At the height of his jump the young man released the bow letting loose the flight of arrows at the source of the purplish-black aura, a large young man wielding a massive sword.

The swordsman however swung his sword behind him using the flat of the blade to block the ethereal energy arrows. "A new challenger appears." The swordsman spoke, his voice like grating sandpaper, sending chills down the bowman's spine.

"Hey Orpheus, looks like someone is trying to show up your skills with a bow." The pale green aura source, a young man currently wielding a shuriken spoke with a jovial tone. His aura levels were holding steady at the moment but were low compared to how they had been before.

Orpheus, the young man whom had the severely weakened pale white aura looked at his companion. "Jett, focus on the fight. Discussing whose skills are better in the middle of a fight is counterproductive to actually winning the fight." He told off the man as he quickly pulled out arrows from his quiver and shot them.

Jett merely smirked and changed his weapon into a double-bladed spear before charging in at the swordsmen. The newcomer watched the battle for a few seconds before he found the rhythm that Jett and Orpheus were using and joined in. Jett had taken it upon himself to act as the vanguard and engaged the enemy swordsman at melee range. The two warriors exchanged blows with their weapons with Jett mainly on the defensive end of their engagement.

The new bowman coordinated his attacks with Orpheus firing arrow after arrow into the flank of his target. Surprisingly the swordsman was able to deflect some of their shots and the ones that did manage to hit him didn't seem to have an effect. Jett was eventually pushed back from the swordsman with his aura at a quarter of what it had been.

Gritting his teeth, the young bowman pulled back his string to its fullest. "Orpheus, Jett I need the both of you to buy me some time." He told the two exhausted warriors.

Orpheus looked at the bowman with an agitated expression. "Don't try to act so familiar with us!" he exclaimed pulling out a multitude of different color arrows. Jett merely smiled and nodded in acknowledgement before separating his spear into swords.

 _God damn, just how many forms does his weapon have?_ The young man mused to himself as he continued to pour his aura into the weapon. The arrow that had formed was changing colors as more and more energy was delivered to it.

Dodging a wide swing Jett slid behind the swordsman and sprung into the air twirling his body and slicing across the man's back seven times before he was out of range. Seeing that his prey was still airborne and unable to dodge the swordsman ginned widely showing off rows of sharpened teeth. Before he could attack the helpless Jett however he was hit from the side with a giant boulder.

At least that's what it felt like before a bolt of lightning struck him square in the chest. Orpheus had pulled out bundles of arrows and was firing them together to increase the effects. Loosing another bundle, the young bowman continued to run around his target giving Jett a chance to land safely. The swordsman bellowed and turned his attention to Orpheus but before he could attack, Jett was in front of him.

"Come on, did you think I'd let you walk out on our dance?" he asked in a cocky tone before swinging his swords in a complex combination. Somehow he had become faster than before and now put the giant sword-wielding warrior on the defensive.

"Don't think your hot shit kid!" the man cried out as his raised his giant blade into the air. "FENRIR!" he cried out as an explosive wave of energy burst from his body. Jett cried out as he was thrown backwards to the ground. There was a small dust cloud that began clearing moments later to reveal the swordsman now wielding two blades; however, each blade was currently extending from his forearms.

With a demented smile on the face the dark swordsman charged the fallen Jett with his blades in an execution position. Before he could strike through a fiery explosion caught him from behind and sent him head over heels across the area.

As he tumbled and struggled to get his footing the swordsman's body was struck with a barrage of fiery explosions, shocking thunderbolts, and piercing icicles. "I'm running out of arrows here!" Orpheus exclaimed never letting up.

The new bowman smiled and ran towards Orpheus. "Great then let's finish this." He told his fellow bowman. Orpheus nodded and together the two fired. Orpheus shot was a bundle of pale viridian, bright crimson, dark azure, and dark onyx arrows. The other bowman's shot was a single golden-white arrow.

As the swordsman finally stood up and got his footing he saw the projectiles heading towards him and smiled. "Damn, looks like it's the end of the line for me." He stated simply before the arrows struck. The results were instantaneous. A whirlwind trapped the man in a vortex where he was submerged in scalding black water that burned away at his skin. As the attack continued the three young warriors could only look at it in awe. "Remind me never to get on your bad side." Jett said to Orpheus.

"We should get out of here while we can. No telling what might happen once that attack finishes." The stranger told Jett and Orpheus. "He'll be dead." Orpheus stated flatly and began walking away. Jett followed after him with the stranger bringing up the rear.

When the attack finally subsided all that was left of the man was his fleshless body.

Jett and Orpheus had walked back to their camp with the stranger in tow. The young bowman had been silent the entire trip. His clothes, which consisted of white trekking combat boots that have red stripes on the sides along with pants that were fully white that had a brown belt tied around the waist to keep it up and a black sleeveless undershirt with a white light-weight long sleeved coat over it, were mostly undamaged from the battle. The overcoat had burgundy red portions on the shoulders, the collar, and a cross shape one in the front. On the young bowman's left wrist was a silver Kokopeli bangle.

"So what's your name?" Jett asked the young man. "I'm Jett, Jett Volus and my anti-social friend here is Orpheus." He introduced himself.

Orpheus looked at Jett with minor annoyance. "I don't need you giving out my name; I am very capable of speaking for myself." He berated Jett before stealing a glance at the stranger.

"You may call me Roane, Roane Grant." The young man introduced himself with a small bow. Jett laughed and wrapped his arm around Roane's neck and shoulder in a playful manner.

"No need to get all formal on us man, you just saved our lives." He told Roane, his smile never fading.

"That would make it twice now someone has had to save you Jett." Orpheus stated in a matter-of-factually tone. "You are incurring quite the life debt."

Jett narrowed his eyes at Orpheus. "Hn, let's not forget that the only reason I needed to be saved was because I was rescuing you, music man." He shot back causing Orpheus to blush slightly and grumble under his breath.

"I was completely fine thank you very much!" Orpheus protested turning to point at Jett. Roane watched the two bicker and argue as they walked.

Jett had begun to act out what had happened in overly dramatic fashion while Orpheus tried his best to remain cool only bursting out when he felt Jett had gone too far. "You two seem awfully close to one another. Were you friends before this?" Roane asked causing the two young men in front of him to stop.

Jett and Orpheus looked at one another before looking back at Roane. "We weren't friends before this." Orpheus finally answered. Roane's expression became slightly puzzled at the answer. "Your attitude would say otherwise." He commented.

Jett placed his hands behind his head and began walking. "There's a simple enough explanation for that Roane, our bond is iron-clad forged in the flames of combat and tested in battle." The multi-weapon wielding warrior explained. Roane grabbed his chin as he thought about Jett's response.

"You mean to say you can speak so easily with one another because you've fought together?" he asked seeking clarification. Orpheus nodded and shrugged at the same time. "That's more or less the gist of it." He replied simply.

It took the trio about an hour or so to make their way to Jett and Orpehus' camp site and by the time they arrived it was late in the afternoon. "Looks like you two had no problems setting up camp." Roane stated as he observed the simply set-up of their site.

"Hey she may not be much to look at but she'll keep us safe." Jett joked as he went towards the fire pit. He shifted a few of the logs around and got to work starting a fire while Orpheus lay down and began tending to his equipment.

Roane sat down in between the two young men on the northern side of the camp and watched them silently. "So, Roane tell me a little bit about yourself." Jett suddenly stated after getting the fire started.

The young warrior had taken off his shirt and pants and was currently tending to his wounds with a first aid kit. Roane saw that Orpheus was in the middle of the same process and realized that he was the only one uninjured.

"Alright, what do you want to know?" Roane asked making himself comfortable. Jett shrugged "Just start with what you're comfortable with." He answered honestly.

"Ok, well I was born into a fairly well known family of hunters. My mother and father were often away as I grew up but never at the same time." Roane began his tale. "From the time I was eight my parents began training me to be a hunter. My family had been the protectors of our village for many generations so it was expected of me to become a great hunter. I was given special treatment around town and had many friends because of my family's name." he continued.

"Things started to change however once I discovered my semblance, an ability I call the eyes of truth." Roane's eyes changed to pure white as he spoke. "This allows me to see the truth of the world; as well as the truth behind people. It was with this semblance I was able to find you both and help you." Roane explained before deactivating the ability, changing his eyes back to their violet hue.

"The people of my village however thought that it was useless since it didn't have much combat application against the Grimm. The disappointment I caused my father when he learned shocked me to my core. He grew distant from me then and would only interact with me for training. My mother and grandmother were my only constants for love and support." Roane began again. Jett and Orpheus listened to the young man's story with rapt attention as they finished patching themselves up.

When Roane was finally finished night had fallen and the forest had started to grow silent. "Wow man, so you are kind of like royalty then." Jett voiced with a gleeful smile on his face. Roane shook his head with a bright crimson blush gracing his face. "No, it's nothing like that." He answered quickly causing Jett to laugh raucously.

"Relax man I'm just yanking your chain." He stated. "Still, though it must've been nice growing up as a star." The young man mused. Roane remained silent and continued to blush. Orpheus who had remained quiet the entire time pulled off his shirt and jacket before folding them into a pillow. "Your story was interesting." He said simply before lying down and closing his eyes.

Jett looked at Orpheus and shook his head before turning his attention to Roane. "Don't mind him, I get the feeling he'd rather let his actions speak for him than his words." He stated. Roane smiled softly. "That's fine with me since you're both safe." He said stretching his arms above his body.

"I'll take first watch so that you two can recover from your injuries." Roane told Jett as he stood up and walked over to a nearby tree. "Hey boy scout, don't try and take the whole night on your own." Jett called out after the bowman. Roane stopped and looked back at him with a sheepish smile. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." He answered.

Jett's eyes hardened slightly as his playful smile vanished. "I'm serious, we all need to pull our weight and make sure we get our rest." He told Roane. "I can tell you're the type who'll put the needs of others before yourself nine times out of ten. I'm kind of the same way." Jett explained walking over to Roane.

"We have one more day of this trial, so don't get sloppy and forget to rest. Remember what that old lady said during her speech 'one mistake could very well be your last'" he continued placing his hand on Roane's shoulder. Roane looked into Jett's eyes and could see the sincerity in them. He knew that Jett wouldn't back down until he as sure that Roane understood him.

Smiling Roane nodded gently moved Roane's hand off his shoulder. "Alright Roane, I understand what you're saying. I'll wake you in a few hours." He assured the young man. Jett's smile returned and with a simply wave he went back to his spot near the campfire and lay down. Roane climbed up the tree that gave him a great vantage point of the camp and began humming softly to himself while his companions slept peacefully below.

 _Elsewhere_

A soft golden glow radiated in the dark forest before dying down. When it faded completely a man stood up and began rotated his arms and neck getting the cricks out of them. "Looks like we weren't strong enough this time, Fenrir." The man spoke with a hint of anger and disappointment in his tone. Beside him a medium-sized metallic black wolf lay on the ground.

Looking down at his companion the man motioned with his head for the canine to follow and began walking randomly through the forest with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "They may have won this time but all they have done is taken us down not out."

* * *

A/N: So I just wanted to say I'm having a great time writing this. My two other SYOC stories need more submissions. Please check those out if you haven't yet. I would like to do all three concurrently.


	6. Chapter V

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter V: This is my path

A/N: Submissions are officially closed for now. If more characters are need later on then submissions will be reopened but as it stands I have enough with a diverse set of personalities to continue with the story for quite some time. Thank you for trusting me with your characters. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 _Iselia Forest – Ruins of Iselia Village_

The sun rose beyond the horizon on the third day of Valethornia Academy's first entrance trial. Within the ruins of what use to be known as Iselia village two young women awoke to the first rays of sunlight. Both girls looked about the same age physically but they each carried themselves with different levels of maturity.

One girl, the first one to have woken up had long dark shining black hair that was currently left flowing down to slightly below her shoulders. She had fair peach-hue skin and bright blue eyes. As she stood up and stretched the young woman took a few scrunches from her wrist before quickly tying her hair into loose ponytail.

She took out a navy blue wool beanie from the pocket of her grey, sleeveless hoodie and put that on as well. Underneath the hoodie the woman was dressed in a plain black tank top and wore matching denim shorts held up by a dark brown belt. Finishing her ensemble were the black fingerless gloves attached to her gauntlets and black combat boots. Running along her arms and legs were various battle scars showing off her experience as a warrior.

The girl's companion showed no battle scars but carried herself with the mindset and grace of a warrior. She was wearing a silver V-neck shirt underneath a black vest that was only partially buttoned up exposing ample amounts of cleavage from her breasts.

She wore black fingerless gloves on each hand with metal studs in the knuckles. Across her chest from right shoulder to left hip was a single strap bandolier that also attached to her belt. On the back of the bandolier a large scabbard was attached housing double-bladed broadsword that was only about a half -foot shorter than its bearer.

She wore a black A-line denim miniskirt that came down to just above her knees. The skirt was slightly loose fitting so as not to restrict the girl's movements. Her footwear consisted of black combat sneakers with a silver-colored metal trim going around the base.

"You know, these past two days have been boring as hell." The first girl said as she stretched her arms and legs to loosen then sleep from them. Her companion looked at her with a slightly bored expression.

"Only fools seek out danger, Layla." The girl stated as she began to prepare breakfast. Layla looked at her companion and shook her head. "You know Maly, you could stand to be a bit less condescending than that." Layla spoke as she began to shadowbox with the air.

"I've told you thirty-seven times already that my name is Malyganya, not Maly." The young woman stated with annoyance in her voice. Layla merely smiled cheekily and laughed.

"You've actually been keeping count?" she asked, stifling laughter that threatened to escape her throat. Malyganya looked at Layla and smiled slightly before nodding. "Of course I have. Someone has to be the mature one between us." She spoke as the bird eggs, which had been cooking on a heated rock began to turn golden.

Layla laughed again and continued her morning work-out. "You know, it's a good thing we both know how to live off the land. We would've been ok on our own but with our combined experience this first trial has been a breeze." Layla commented.

Malyganya was quiet as she watched over their breakfast; making sure that the eggs cooked evenly. "He who lets his guard down invites danger into his home." Malyganya stated simply before flipping the eggs around. Layla sighed and turned to the dark-haired female behind her.

"Where do you get that stuff from?" she asked walking over to the dilapidated house where they had been camping for the previous two nights. Layla pulled out a slightly stale loaf of bread and broke it in half. The bread had been in her backpack from before she entered the academy.

Layla had heard the rumors surrounding Valethornia Academy's entrance exam and had prepared for the worst. Dried meat and fish along with bread and water were among the many things that had been brought. Her father had been a military man and her upbringing had been tough. She learned from a young age that survival was the number one concern of her life.

Layla brought the two bread halves out and gave one to Malyganya. The young woman nodded and thanked her companion before taking a bite. The eggs had finished cooking and together the young women ate in silence. Layla's eyes scanned Malyganya's form with intrigue. From the first day they had met Layla's interest in the young woman had been piqued.

Before her was a girl not much unlike herself. From what little Malyganya had decided to share Layla could tell that she had grown up quickly in the world. Malyganya was an orphan. Her mother died of natural causes and her father was killed a few years later while out on a Grimm hunt. Malyganya was the one of very few heirs to her family's legacy.

Layla had heard the tales of the Oregenera clan; along their service to the kingdom as hunters and huntresses. As one of the oldest family of professional hunters the Oregeneras were regarded as legends to commoners. Malyganya however did not relish in her family's legacy however. She knew the tales and deeds surrounding them but to her they meant nothing.

Layla smiled as she thought back to one of their early conversations. The two female warriors had been walking through the forest talking about themselves to one another. When she learned who Malyganya was Layla's surprise was evident. The young heiress however had given her a despondent look before speaking. _"My family's life is theirs, not mine. I live according to my own path."_

It was that one sentence that showed Layla that Malyganya was someone she could trust. Malyganya wasn't stuck up like other prestigious heirs or heiress that Layla had encountered, but then again not many others had lived on their own for five years.

Malyganya finished her breakfast and stood up. "None of our traps were triggered. I'll make sure they weren't tampered with and see if I can find any of the others." She informed her companion. Layla nodded in response and continued eating.

While she herself didn't care for others, Layla knew that there was strength in numbers. Her militaristic upbringing under her father's tutelage had included strategy sessions and battle history. Layla however never saw the point to it since it didn't fit her personality. In single combat she easily dominated her opponents and was even able to handle herself when outnumbered, for the most part.

Finishing her breakfast Layla sighed loudly. "Fuck this is boring. I should've offered to check on the traps. At least then I would've been doing something." She spoke aloud as she laid back interlocking her fingers and placing her head in her hands. Looking up at the sky Layla relaxed her and let her mind wander.

 _Elsewhere_

Malyganya walked through the trees easily trudging through the undergrowth of vines and bushes.

"Dax Risso, how long do you plan on following me?" she called out to the trees, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword.

From the shadow of the trees a young man approached her carrying a pair of straight-edged butterfly swords.

"I should've known you would notice me, given your status." The young man spoke. Malyganya's eyes hardened and narrowed as she and Dax circled one another.

"You know, I honestly thought it would Sasayaki, Blanka, or Roanos that would come after me." Malyganya stated drawing her weapon. Dax smirked and twirled his weapons.

"Roanos has other priorities than taking out trash like you." Dax stated matching Malyganya's glare.

"Before we begin would you answer one question?" Malyganya inquired as she stopped and got into her battle stance.

Dax stopped and got into his own stance holding one sword in front of him and one above his head.

"I've got no words for a traitor to the organization." He stated simply. Malyganya sighed angrily and charged Dax.

The ring of blades sung through the forest as the two warriors clashed. "You're blinded by your own self-righteous sense of justice." Malyganya spat through gritted teeth as she tried to overpower the much larger swordsman in front of her.

"While your ignorance and arrogance blinds you to the truth." Dax retorted pushing Malyganya away before delivering a sharp kick to the square center of her chest. Malyganya grunted in pain as she slid across the forest before catching herself.

"You've improved in these last two years, I'll give you that." She stated as her footing stabilized. Dax smiled and rushed her beginning a flurry of strikes from all directions.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" he exclaimed while keeping up his assault.

The young swordswoman parried and blocked the blows to the best of her ability as her foe drove her back with his lightning-quick assault. Her mind raced as she tried to formulate a strategy. Suddenly pain erupted in her mind from a wound on her arm. Malyganya's defense faltered and in a split second Dax disarmed the woman.

"You let your guard down." Dax taunted holding a blade to Malyganya's throat. Malyganya held the upper part of her arm while gritting her teeth.

"Anti-aura ammunition." She spat out. While the wound was shallow and not bleeding Malyganya was sure that she wouldn't be using her arm for a few minutes at least.

"You thought that we wouldn't be able to finish making it." Dax stated running his free sword down the center of Malyganya's shirt. The young woman glared daggers at the man while calculating the trajectory of the shot. From the position she was at there was no clear line of sight.

"Only one person could have made that shot, where is he?" Malyganya asked as she began to slowly gather energy within her. Dax laughed, it was a tough barking sound that caused disgust to swell in Malyganya.

"He's a sniper, where do you think he is?" Dax answered mockingly before pointing behind him.

That point, that singular motion was the window Malyganya was waiting for and in a split second sent wave of pure concussive force into Dax's solar plexus which sent the dual-wielding swordsman flying into the air. Moving quickly Malyganya grabbed her sword and pressed one of the hidden buttons on the handle.

The sword hissed softly as the blade split in half along the fuller revealing a barrel running in a hollow space between each half. As the fuller of the weapon split and expanded the gold bladed edges were retracted into black of the fuller. Malyganya held the rifle and ran loading rounds into the cylindrical chamber that doubled as the cross guard when the weapon was in its sword form.

Taking aim Malyganya began to unload round after round into Dax's airborne form. The young man grunted in pain as he was peppered with elementally charged projectiles. Landing hard on the ground, Dax's body bounced once before he regained his footing and changed both of his swords into handheld self-reloading crossbows. Pale green arrows fired in rapid succession as he began pulling the triggers repeatedly.

The two warriors each, eventually found cover from the other's projectiles and for a few moments the forest was silent excluding the heavy breathing from each of them.

"Well damn Malyganya, you caught me off-guard and you got out of Kyle's firing line. I'm impressed." Dax stated as he changed out the green dust cartridges in his crossbows with dark red ones.

"What the hell happened to him, Dax?!" Malyganya exclaimed as she also reloaded her gun. "Kyle was such a kind and gentle kid. What the fuck did the organization do to him?!" she exclaimed once more as anger boiled her blood.

Dax laughed and stood up from behind the cover of a large rock pointing his weapons in Malyganya's general direction. "You never saw that the organization did what it needed to for the greater good. We work according to our own conscious. We can't – scratch that, we _won't_ allow society's views to dissuade us from what we believe is right." He affirmed looking around the forest for where his foe would come from.

Malyganya's voice rang throughout the forest as she laughed. "Zealots, that's all you lot within the organization are." She stated with a somber tone. Dax smirked to himself.

"Don't forget, you were once one of us." He stated jumping down when he saw Malyganya burst from behind a tree.

Seconds later bullets tore the foliage around him as the young woman began unloading her weapon.

"I was never one of you, I was only there to learn more about the world!" Malyganya yelled. Dax lifted one of his crossbows and began to blindly fire at his target hoping to force her into cover.

The arrows shot forth were wide and missed Malyganya by more than half a foot at the least. Impact from behind however caused Malyganya to pause as more pain erupted.

"Damn that Kyle, he got around me." Malyganya swore under her breath as she rolled into new cover. She was boxed in now, with Dax in front of her and Kyle behind.

"You got sloppy Malyganya." Dax taunted when he heard the gunfire stop. "The way I see it you have got two choices. You can surrender and come back with us or fight and die." Dax stated as he caught his breath.

Malyganya steadied her breathing and began to formulate a strategy. Based on the way things were at she knew that at most she'd only take down Dax before Kyle got her with a fatal shot.

"Damn, guess the headmistress was right." She stated with smile as she readied her rifle. "Not all of us will live to see thirty." She finished standing up and facing towards the log where Dax was hiding.

 _Elsewhere_

A young man lay flat on his stomach looking through the scope of his bolt action rifle. His focus on the task given to him was absolute. He knew the target was his friend and as much as it hurt him he knew that she was a threat and so he buried his emotions and lined up the shot.

The range was manageable and the obstacles less than his previous perch but he knew that it would still be a drain on him to curve the bullet the way he needed it to go. The slight shift in wind was all it took for him to notice that he was in danger. His reflexes finely tuned from a young age allowed him to transform his weapon into its melee variation from sniper rifle to five foot spear.

His attacker was a female, like his target. She had a pair of gauntlets with blades extending from between the knuckles as she crashed down on him. "So you're the one taking pot-shots on Maly?" she asked with anger in her voice. The young man was silent as he kicked the female off him and readied himself for combat.

Layla landed on her feet and got into her ready stance bouncing on the balls of her feet. She had heard the sounds of combat faintly from the ruins of the village. Investigating she had seen Malyganya fighting with another person. While her immediate choice had been to jump in and help she had seen when Malyganya suddenly faltered from an unknown attack.

After listening in on the conversation between Malyganya and the attacker known as Dax, Layla learned of the sniper and set off to find them. It had taken her the better part of the last quarter hour to find him since he had also been on the move. After he had taken another shot at Malyganya however that's when Layla made her move and attacked. She was surprised at how quick the man moved and that even though he had just been sniping he looked ready to engage her in melee combat.

His weapon's range was longer than hers but she didn't care as she rushed in. Dodging the thrust from the spear Layla began bobbing and weaving through the attacks that came her way. The young man however was resolute and unmoving keeping Layla at least three feet away with his weapon.

Raising her left arm Layla caught the spear underneath and pinned it to her body. The man immediately let go of his weapon and rushed her with a flurry of punches to her face before jumping and spin kicking the young woman in the chest. Layla coughed up a globule of blood as she let go of the spear and was thrown back.

Before the weapon could hit the ground however its own caught it from midair and once again readied himself. Layla wiped a trail of blood from the corner of her mouth and smirked slightly. "For me, it's rare to find someone with talent for combat. I'm usually bored after the first engagement." She stated casually while standing and getting back into her combat stance.

The two combatants locked eyes and all emotion drained from Layla's eyes as she rushed towards the spear-wielding sniper. The clash as the spear's blade locked with the gauntlets' claws was rough and screeching as Layla pushed forward and gained ground. With a sharp twist the spearman broke the engagement and rushed into the space between them. Layla had been anticipating this however, and in a flash of light gazed deep into her opponent's eyes.

The man cried out and dropped his spear as he began to fumble around. "What you are now experiencing is the effect of my semblance, Sensory. As long as we are in such close proximity of one another I can manipulate one of your five senses. Considering your training as a sniper I figured your eyesight would be your strongest sense and have temporarily blinded you." Layla explained.

The young man gritted his teeth and cocked his head to the side as he listened for his foe. "Just give up, you aren't even a threat anymore." Layla stated in a bored tone. Her comment was mostly a bluff as she knew that prolonged use of her semblance would leave her weakened. The man shook his head and grabbed his spear. "I have a mission and I will complete it." He spoke finally.

He charged in and began swinging his weapon at her, catching Layla off-guard with how eerily proficient he was even with the loss of sight. Parrying a strike Layla grabbed the shaft of the spear and with loud cry sliced her blades through the weapon. Disarmed the young man charged in and slammed his right elbow into the side of Layla's face twice and followed up with a left uppercut.

The female warrior stumbled slightly but quickly regained her footing. Engaging her opponent once more Layla and the young man exchanged blows back and forth. The young man with his disability and disarmament did not last long as the claw-like blades of Layla's gauntlets sliced and stabbed his body quickly draining the defensive aura meant to protect him.

With a final cry Layla rammed both bladed gauntlets into the man's chest. The man coughed up blood onto Layla's face and smiled weakly. "You have only delayed the inevitable. Lucidiores Umbras cannot be stopped. We are everywhere." He gurgled before dying. Layla lowered her arms and felt the man slide off her blades before collapsing onto the ground.

"Lucidiores Umbras, what the fuck is that?" the young woman asked aloud before the distant sound of battle broke her train of thought. "Maly is still dealing with that Dax prick. I better make sure she's good." Layla stated simply as she began to jump down the rocks that had been the sniper's perch.

 _Forest Clearing_

"Huurrrah!" Dax yelled swinging his sword at Malyganya. The swordswoman blocked the attack with the side of her blade and followed up with a twirling kick to the side of Dax's face causing her opponent to stumble. The two had been engaged for the better part of the last half hour. Their battle had moved from the dense forest to this nearby clearing.

Unexpectedly however Kyle's sniping had stopped. Malyganya was grateful but confused since he should have been able to easily take her out. She wouldn't allow the thoughts of this fruitful turn of events to distract her however as she and Dax continued to exchange blows with one another. For the most part their aura levels had remained constant, a testament to their skill with swords since neither could land a direct hit to damage the other.

Their stamina however was a different matter as the prolonged fight was beginning to take its toll on them. Breaking off from each other the two combatants stared at one another breathing heavily.

"What's the matter Dax, you tired?" Malyganya asked her rival.

Dax smirked and continued trying to catch his breath.

"You're one to talk. I'm surprised you haven't been using your aura to replenish your stamina." He commented.

Malyganya never took her eyes from Dax as she looked for an opening.

"I guess you and I are just waiting for the opportune moment to use everything we have since you also are saving your aura." She stated finally getting enough oxygen to steady her breathing. Dax continued breathing heavily and clenched his teeth knowing that he still needed time to recover.

"Do you ever think about us, about coming back to the organization?" he asked hoping to keep Malyganya from attacking until he was ready. The swordswoman looked at Dax and shook her head.

"I don't, I washed my hands of Lucidiores Umbras and everything you stand for." She answered right before rushing in.

Dax was barely able to get his guard up as Malyganya's massive sword crashed into the x-shaped guard of his twin swords pushing him to his knees.

"You will never escape us Malyganya, you know that. Even if you run away to this academy we will hunt you down." Dax managed to speak out through clenched teeth has he struggled to keep his guard steady.

Malyganya's eyes looked down at Dax and she sighed.

"I won't run and I won't hide. I will walk my path as I see fit and no one will tell me otherwise. If you want me then send as many of your pawns as you want. I'll do as nature dictates and take them down every single time." She stated simply.

Kicking out Dax pushed Malyganya away from him and created some distance between them. The two locked gazes once more and began to circle one another. As they prepared to charge one another a figure came crashing through the trees next to Malyganya.

"Layla?!" the young woman exclaimed as her companion stood up next to her. The woman in question smiled slightly at Malyganya before facing Dax.

"I took care of the sniper, so it's just this guy now." Layla informed Malyganya as the young women spread out slightly.

The slight chill of fear crawled up Dax's spine as he realized he was now on his own.

"Well shit. I don't suppose you would consider letting me go?" he asked as he inched backwards. Malyganya shook her head and changed her weapon back into its rifle form.

"Sorry Dax, but you're a threat I can't let linger." She replied.

Before she could pull the trigger however a massive blade erupted from Dax's chest and lifted the young man off his feet. Dax gasp and gurgled as blood began filling his lungs and running from his body.

"Roanos, why?" Dax gasped before all life drained from his eyes.

Dax was thrown from the blade as the man named Roanos stepped for from the shadow of the trees.

"Malyganya Oregenera, it has been quite some time since Fenrir and I last saw you." The man spoke, the gravelly tone of his voice sending chills down the spine of Layla.

Malyganya locked eyes with Roanos and for the briefest moment she felt fear.

"Roanos, why are you here?" she asked readying her weapon. Layla looked at Malyganya and then at Roanos.

"Maly, is he a friend or foe?" the woman asked mostly under her breath, although she already knew the answer.

Roanos tilted his head to the side and stuck his sword into the ground. The weapon immediately liquefied and changed shape into that of a medium-sized wolf.

"I have no reason to answer you Malyganya Oregenera. You left the organization and so our plans no longer concern you." Roanos spoke, his usual ruthless demeanor was gone and the murderous intent that Malyganya was so used to faded.

"Dax and Kyle were here to either kill me or capture me. What is it you want Roanos?" the young woman inquired. Roanos chuckled slightly.

"Like I said before, our plans are of no concern to you but as a courtesy I'll let you know this; you are not my current target." He replied before turning around. At this Malyganya finally relaxed just a bit.

"You get one warning Malyganya Oregenera, stay out of our way or suffer the consequences." Roanos warned as he and Fenrir left Malyganya and Layla alone in the clearing. Raindrops began falling as the two females were left alone and after a few minutes Malyganya suddenly fell to her knee.

"Maly, are you ok?" Layla asked her companion looking over the girl. Malyganya nodded weakly and stood with Layla's aid before sheathing her weapon. "Maly, what was all that about?" Layla asked as the two of them began walking back to their camp.

The swordswoman was quiet and refused to answer.

"Maly!" Layla called out to the other female. Malyganya turned around and faced her companion.

"You're hurt Layla, we need to get you patched up." She stated simply before continuing on.

Layla sighed and followed Malyganya. The entire trek was silent between the two of them with only the sound of the rain breaking anything. When they arrived back at the camp Malyganya set to work building a fire inside of the house they slept in. The broken roof allowed for natural filtration of the smoke to flow out but had the adverse effect of also letting in some rain.

"Take off your clothes." Malyganya instructed Layla. The young woman smirked and shrugged.

"Damn Maly, aren't you going to buy me dinner first?" she asked jokingly before getting undressed. Removing the wet clothing from her body Layla began to see just how extensive her wounds were.

"What the hell?" she questions as she saw multiple bruises and bleeding wounds across he torso and legs. Malyganya set to work cleaning the wounds delicately.

"It's Kyle's semblance. Anything he deems a projectile can be moved to his will as long as it's been fired in some way, shape, or form." Malyganya explained.

"He may not have been using bullets, but rocks or blades of grass would have sufficed as ammunition." She continued while bandaging Layla. Layla looked at Malyganya with questioning eyes.

"You know them, their group and everything." She stated rather than asked.

"Yes, I used to be part of their organization but I left about a year or so ago and I've never looked back." Malyganya answered. Layla cocked her head to the side as she tried to determine the truth from that statement.

"Why didn't you fight that Roanos guy?" Layla asked once Malyganya had finished bandaging her wounds.

"Roanos is a monster. If we had fought him in our condition then we would have died." Malyganya answered as she began to remove her own wet clothing. Layla scoffed and turned her gaze to the fire.

"Please Maly, don't joke because you aren't good at it." She stated although she could feel the tiniest traces of fear radiate from her companion.

"It isn't a joke. As many times as I have fought Roanos, never have I beaten squarely and it has always taken me using the fullest of my power from the get go." Malyganya explained as she hung her clothes near the fire to dry.

Although it was only a little in the afternoon the rain outside made it seem later. Layla could hear it in Malyganya's voice, the slight fear and apprehension about facing Roanos and his mysterious canine Fenrir.

"We should get some sleep. The rain will probably be going throughout the day and it's not like our traps were tampered with." Malyganya stated as she pulled up the makeshift blanket of vines and leaves. Layla looked down at the topless half-naked girl and sighed before joining her beneath the covering.

"What do you think you're doing?" Malyganya asked as she felt Layla's bra press against her bare back. Layla smiled and wrapped her arms around Malyganya's body.

"We're both wet and cold. It's only natural for us to share body heat to stay warm." Layla answered with a deep blush on her face. Malyganya thought about and found no fault in her reasoning before closing her eyes.

"Very well, do as you like." She stated simply as she felt Layla press their bodies closer together. Within moments Malyganya had fallen asleep and resting peacefully.

Layla listened to the sound of her companion sleep and smiled softly. "Malyganya Oregenera, I don't know much about you but you interest me. You've choose to make your own path separate from your family's legacy or society's view of you." She whispered softly feeling her heart quicken.

Malyganya stirred slightly in her sleep rolling over to face Layla. The serene peaceful expression Layla saw caused her face to burn with a deep crimson blush. She moved her face closer to Malyganya's until their foreheads touched.

"I think I wouldn't mind walking that path with you. I want to see where this journey takes you." She continued as the fingers of sleep began creeping into her mind.

Smiling softly Layla took one last look at Malyganya before drifting off to sleep.

 _I've decided I want to stick with you Malyganya._

 _This is my choice, this is my path._

* * *

A/N: Holy fuck that took me the better part of six hours to finish. Leave a review with your thoughts.


	7. Chapter VI

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter VI: Team Meetings

A/N: I'm just going to go out on a limb and say everyone enjoys my writing. I have to make this assumption because hardly anyone leaves a review regarding their thoughts or opinions. My drive to write isn't based off of reviews but having them helps me to grow as a writer because I'll get feedback into which areas of my writing need work. It's not like it takes long to do one, just saying. Anyway enjoy this string of multiple updates because my creativity refuses to be contained.

* * *

 _Iselia Forest_

Sunlight glistened on the morning dew left behind by yesterday's rainfall. In a large artificial clearing of the forest a group of young men and a woman awoke. More precise to say, that three of them woke as the fourth had been awake and standing guard over the camp.

One of the members of the quartet, the young woman who had light dusty red-colored hair, looked at the person who had stood guard while yawning.

"Damn Crimson, do you ever sleep?" she asked aloud as she continued to stretch.

The young man named Crimson opened his left eye, the only one visible due to the spikey bangs of his silver-white hair covering the most of the right side of his face. The blood-red iris stared ahead into the trees before scanning over the camp. Crimson adjusted the dark ruby-red scarf that covered the lower-half of his face while the two ends trailed down past his waist.

"Sleep lowers your defenses to practically nothing. Someone must keep watch at all times so as to disrupt an ambush." Crimson finally answered although his smooth deep voice was heavily muffled behind the scarf he wore.

"Leave him be Lavi, you know how **ninja** are." A male's voice called out from Crimson's left side.

A young man with black fox ears protruding from the side of his head smiled at his two companions as he walked to the center of the camp. Crimson looked at the male with slight contempt in his eye.

"Taz Argent, you fell asleep during your shift." Crimson mentioned with an aggravated tone.

Taz Argent merely shrugged and smiled as his ears wiggled slightly. "Carmine, Carmine, Carmine. I knew you were awake which is why I felt comfortable falling asleep." The young fox faunus explained.

For a faunus his age Taz was built heavy, at five foot eight and two-hundred pounds of raw strength. One look at Taz and you could tell he was a fighter. His slanted green eyes had a hidden fire in them; combined with his warrior-styled black dreadlock hair with silver tips gave off a dangerous aura. He was currently dress in a silver tank-top with a black lightning bolt styled in the center underneath a black aviator jacket with silver fur lining; as well as slim black plants with silver streaks traveling down the sides and silver boots with black lining across the bottom.

Crimson looked at Taz and narrowed his eyes. "Does your immaturity know no bounds?" he asked venomously. "I've told you not to call me by my last name. We are not friends." He continued before walking up to Taz and starring the faunus directly in the eye.

Crimson Carmine stood four inches taller than Taz but the shorter male didn't flinch. Crimson's attire was meant to be intimidating, but was having little to no effect on Taz. The young hunter was dressed in loose fitting black pants made of flexible materials with twin white streaks running down the front and back. The pants strapped near the ankle by Crimson's obi sandals. Wrapped around his waist was a black cloth belt with a golden skull for the buckle. His top was an open-chested long-sleeved jacket made from the same flexible material as his pants.

Over the jacket was an armor strapping consisting of two bone-like pauldrons attached to a partial ribcage. The armor for the most part prevented blunt force damage to Crimson's torso. He also wore a pair of full bone-plated gauntlets that covered both his forearms as well as the backs of his hands. The armoring on his hands had the added effect of including natural bone protrusions over his knuckles for added offense capabilities.

Looking at the two males square off the young woman sighed and walked in between them. "Look you two, just cool it ok." She spoke to them using her arms to physically push them apart.

"We didn't survive those three days together just to kill one another now." She continued looking between Crimson and Taz. Her two companions however never broke their gaze. She looked around for the final member of their group and saw the young man sitting down silently eating a bowl of fruit.

"Viridian, come over here and sign some sense into Crimson." She called out.

The young man ignored her causing the female to sigh and walk over to him. Viridian looked up as the woman began to charade her command to him. Grabbing his twin sawn-off lever action shotguns Viridian stood and placed them into the holsters on his back before walking over to Crimson and Taz. When he was sure that they could see him Viridian began using sign-language to communicate with Crimson. Taz watched the two of them go at it and shook his head before walking away towards the female.

"I can't make heads or tails of what they're doing." He stated as he reached her and began eating some of Viridian's fruit.

"I can only make out bits and pieces but from the looks of it, everything will be fine." The girl informed Taz.

Taz looked at the girl sitting next to him and tilted his head to the side slightly. "What is it about you Lavi that makes you want to keep the peace?" he asked her.

Lavi looked at Taz and smiled in response. Lavi and Taz had run into one another during the first day of the trial after fighting off multiple packs of beowolves. It was strange to Taz that a human would be so open to trusting a faunus but Lavi had explained to him that she was raised by a faunus couple after being orphaned at a young age.

Physically Lavi was pretty average, she stood about the same height as Taz. She had an attractive thickness to her and dusty ash-colored eyes. Her dusty-red, almost rust colored hair had the tips dyed yellowish-orange and was styled in a short cut to just above her shoulders. The right side of her face had twin burn scars streaking across her cheek from temple to chin.

She was currently wearing an open red sleeveless trench coat over a black short sleeve midriff cut shirt with a volcano in the center along with a pair of lava colored denim jeans and slate-gray shin high boots. The exposing midriff section of her shirt showed large X-shaped burn scar across her stomach. She lay her head against Taz's shoulder and continued smiling.

"Do I need a reason to want peace?" she asked the young faunus while the two of them continued to watch Viridian and Crimson communicate via sign language.

After a few more minutes Crimson stopped and turned towards the duo. He and Viridian had joined Taz and Lavi at the end of the first day after a small scuffle over the clearing with each duo wanting it for themselves so from the get-go Taz and Crimson had locked horns. The group had been able to fend off Grimm attacks for the next two days under Taz's leadership which Crimson had trouble admitting was actually decent. Today however marked the end of the seventy-two-hour survival portion of their entrance exam.

"How do you think they'll let us know where to go after this?" Lavi asked the group. Crimson translated her words with sign language for Viridian. The young man was partially deaf, from what Lavi and Taz had learned. Viridian could hear sounds but to him everything sounded exactly the same, a dull thumping.

They had asked him whether or not he thought being deaf increased the danger of being a hunter. Viridian told them how when he was young he had doubts as to whether he could be one or not but after specialized training under another deaf hunter whom he called, Mr. Frame, he got the skills and confidence needed to help him achieve his dream.

"They'll probably send extraction pods into the forest and have us go reach them." Crimson stated with a bored tone in his voice. The ninja-esque hunter had revealed very little of himself to Taz or Lavi aside from his name and that he had been personally called to attend the academy by the headmistress herself.

After seeing his skills first-hand over the past two days, Taz and Lavi didn't doubt that he had been scouted. Crimson had a lithe muscular frame built for speed. It also deceptively hid his true strength as the young man chose to wield a massive double-bladed great sword.

The handle of the weapon was easily four or five hand lengths. Its pommel was trapezoid in shape with claw-like spikes protruding from the bottom. The base of the blade connected directly to the handle with no cross-guard in-between. The base was rounded as there was a hollow space in between where a golden disk rested and was anchored to the inner sides by four rods.

On each side of the rounded base were armor-like protrusions which acted as handguards. From the base upwards the fuller ran almost five feet long. The actual bladed edge of the weapon consisted of multiple serrated teeth that ran on each side of the blade. The tip of the blade was an enlarged crescent shape that gave the weapon an almost axe-like appearance.

One look at the weapon and it was easy to tell this sword wasn't meant to slice its victims but to shred and mutilate them. The mystery of how Crimson was able to wield such a beast was still lingering in both Taz and Lavi's minds.

"That seems to be the most logical approach, since they did just randomly drop us into the forest." Taz mused as he chewed a blade of grass.

The young faunus hadn't truly asked to lead this group but during the first night when they had been attacked he took charge of the situation since he had been the one on sentry duty at the time. Taz's laid back personality rubbed Crimson the wrong way and he knew it.

At the time of battle however all trace of his antics were gone as he focused on keeping everyone alive. Taz wielded a pair of tonfa blades. The weapons were really a fusion of pistol and swords at the core. The short end of the tonfa acted as the pistol's barrels. The triggers being placed on the thumb side of the weapons handles.

The bladed portion of the weapon ran along the outside of the weapon's shaft which meant it could double as defensive parrying as well offensive striking weapon. By interlocking the handles into the hollow shafts of the two weapons Taz was able to transform the tonfas into a double-bladed battle axe.

On the battlefield Taz and Crimson had taken the vanguard position by rushing in to clear up the initial wave of enemies. It hadn't taken long Crimson to match Taz's flow in battle as the cut down the various Grimm that had invaded their camp.

They were supported by Lavi who despite her small frame wielded a large flamethrower with two separate ammunition canisters. Viridian used hit and run tactics as he wielded his twin shotguns with surprising dexterity. The four young warriors had learned more about each other during the days and nights of combat they endured than they did during the silences in between.

There was a long sharp whistling sound that broke the conversation causing the group to look towards its source. Overhead they saw multiple aircraft flying through the air. Taz smirked and looked at the group.

"Not exactly extraction pods, but I'm not going to complain about a free ride back." He stated as he began to signal one of the aircraft by sending bolts of silver electricity into the sky. All around them they began to see similar signals fly up as other survivors signaled the crafts.

AS the craft touched down and opened Taz and his group were greeted by an instructor who was different from the four that had guided all the groups to the trams just three days before.

"Congratulations on surviving. You'll be taken back to the academy for now to help prepare you for the second trial. Please climb aboard." The man instructed them.

The group climbed into the vehicle and saw that it was occupied by six other passengers.

"Looks like these guys beat us to the punch." Taz joked as he took a seat next to one of the occupants, a female with dark bronze-colored hair. The other members of his group found themselves sitting with the occupants and began to talk amongst them regarding everything they had been through.

The aircraft took off and continued searching the forest for survivors for roughly two more hours. They managed to pick up thirty-seven more people before the aircraft began its return trip back to the academy.

 _Valethornia Academy - Amphitheater  
_

The surviving members from the first initiation trial sat in the amphitheater and spoke amongst themselves. Their numbers which had shrunk considerable from the initial thousand or so to only a couple hundred between the speech and first trial was now barely topping off at two-hundred. The academy's faculty stood on the raised platform in the center of the amphitheater.

From the left side entrance, the headmistress walked out and caused the students, since that's what they were now to grow quiet. She climbed the platform and turned to address them. Her eyes scanned the group and each student could feel her presence, the weight of her existence, upon their body.

"So, this is what I'm left to work with?" she asked which caused a hushed silence to pass through the crowd. "I've seen worse." She continued as she began pacing back and forth.

"Over the past three days we have observed each and every one of you as you survived what the forest had for you. You were scored and graded based off of your choices and the choices of others." The headmistress informed them causing looks of concern to grace some of the students faces.

"Based off your results you have been placed on teams we feel will be best suited to your talents. For some of you this means forgetting who you have survived with for the past few days and for others it means learning to work with a group instead of surviving solo." She told them.

"We've sent you the room number associated with your team as well as its name and formation to your scrolls. You are all to head to your assigned room and wait for further instructions regarding the second trial. You are dismissed." She told them with a sharp wave of dismissal.

One by one the students began to open their scrolls and leave the amphitheater to find their rooms.

 _Room 132B_

Sable Argotera sat on her bed painting her nails when she heard the door open. Standing in the frame was tall young man with a metallic wolf behind him. Sable looked at the man with a slightly bored expression. "Roanos Stormcloud and that must be your weapon, Fenrir." She stated simply.

Roanos narrowed his eyes at sable and growled slightly. "How do you know who we are?" he asked walking into the spacious room before sitting on the couch near the center.

"I'm a second year student. You and others were assigned to me because you are exceptionally well-versed hunters in some way shape or form." Sable answered still bored.

"So what, you were given a dossier of some sort on all of us?" Roanos asked as Fenrir curled up into a ball and went to sleep.

Before sable could answer the door opened once more and revealed two more people. A girl with red hair and child-looking young man with long wavy black hair that was currently tied in a ponytail.

"Hi there, my name is Lavi Southwark. This guy is Viridian O'Neill." The girl introduced pointing first to herself and then to her companion.

At this Sable dropped down from her bed, which had been hanging off the wall and walked over to Lavi and Viridian. "A pyromaniac, a psychopath, an antisocialist and a deaf kid, the headmistress must really hate us if she thinks we'll function as a team." She stated while scratching the back of her head.

"Whatever, welcome to team SLVR, I'm your leader Sable Argotera. Just try not to get yourselves killed ok?" Sable stated as she looked over her new teammates.

 _Room 149C_

Roane, Orpheus, and Jett all walked together down the hall looking for their room. When they found it they were surprised to see that they weren't the first to arrive. Standing in the center of the room was a young man dressed as a ninja. The trio looked at one another and then at the young man.

"I guess he must be our fourth guy, Crimson Carmine." Orpheus stated aloud. His two companions nodded and together they moved towards the stranger.

"Hey there I'm-" Jett started but was interrupted by a swift punch to the face. In a split second Crimson was fighting all three of the other males and in less than five had already put them on their backs.

"Pathetic, this is who I'm stuck with?" the silver-white haired warrior asked from behind his scarf.

Jett stood angrily and glared daggers at Crimson. "What the fuck is your problem, we're on the same team!" he exclaimed.

Crimson closed his eyes and turned away from Jett to look at Orpheus. "I needed to test you all to see if you were even suitable to be on the same team with me." He answered as Orpheus and Roane stood to their feet.

"My initial thought is that you guys will prove adequate meat shields." He continued causing Jett to clench his teeth. Roane placed a hand on Jett's shoulder and shook his head.

"Let it go man, he's not worth it." Roane said calming his friend down.

Orpheus sighed and shook his head. "This, this is how Team ORCJ first meets. God damn it all." He mused.

 _Room 169C_

Taz Argent walked into room one-sixty-nine "C" along with his new teammate Amber Isolon. He had briefly met Amber on the aircraft earlier but during the walk from the amphitheater had gotten to know her better. Inside he and amber saw two young women already inside. One of the woman was in the middle of undressing while the other lay down on the couch in the center of the room.

"Maly, our teammates are here." The woman who was undressing said and continued as if nothing had changed.

Malyganya lifted her head and looked at Taz and Amber with an inquisitive expression. "I like the look of you guys." She stated simply before laying her head back down. "We're Team MTAL. I'm Malyganya Oregenera, your leader. I'm officially making Taz Argent second-in-command." She told them as the neutral tone of her voice never changed.

The girl who had undressed was now down to her underwear and smiled at Taz and Amber. "I'm Layla." She introduced herself. "Don't mind Maly, she kind of antisocial but she means well." Layla explained before grabbing a towel and heading out the door.

 _Headmistress' Office_

The soft blue glow of the monitor illuminated the otherwise darkened room. In front of the monitor a middle-age woman sat. Her eyes scanned the screen before her as she analyzed the data from the first trial. The woman smiled to herself and leaned back in her chair.

"Well this is certainly an interesting batch of recruits. Let's see how they do during the second trial."

* * *

A/N: This was an interesting chapter for me to do since it was just plot and exposition. Team Names and Colors for those who need translation. SLVR – Silver ORCJ – Orchid MTAL - Metal


	8. Chapter VII

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter VII: Team ORCJ – Day One

A/N: Thanks for the feedback everyone. So I plan for the next few days is to just post a chapter a day. Like I said my creativity won't be contained so I'll just keep writing and posting until I can't anymore.

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy – Room 149C_

"SON OF A BITCH!"

The first words Orpheus heard as he was startled from his peaceful sleep. Looking around for the source of danger he saw Jett hopping around the floor. The ground had been littered with what looked like spike balls and unfortunately Jett had stepped on quite a few as he got out of bed. Crimson Carmine watched from the corner of the room near the door with a disappointed glint in his eyes.

"You need to be aware of your surroundings and ever vigilant of danger." The young man spoke through his scarf.

Jett clenched his teeth and glared at Crimson. He sat down on the couch in their room and began pulling the spikes from his feet. They hadn't pierced his skin and upon closer inspection he saw they were made of hardened plastic. He stood up and turned to crimson and clenched his fist, but before he could do anything however Roane was in front of him smiling.

"Just chill Jett, it was obviously just a bad joke." Roane stated in a calming tone. Jett never took his eyes of Crimson however.

"I'm all for a good joke but this guy is just being a prick." Jett finally stated as he turned away and began picking up the spikes. Roane turned to Crimson and sighed.

"Crimson, you're doing a really shitty job of earning trust and making friends." He told his teammate with a hint of concern in his voice.

The ninja clad huntsman in training looked at Roane with his one visible eye and scoffed. Walking towards the exit Crimson gave a glance at the others before opening the door.

"I'm not here to make friends. If it was up to me I wouldn't even be on this team. You three will just slow me down." He stated with an air of arrogance about him before leaving the room.

Orpheus shook his head and lowered himself to the floor from his bed. He took care not to step on the spikes that had been placed on the ground and began helping Jett to remove the hazardous items.

"That guy has some serious people skill issues." Jett voiced as they finished up. Roane chuckled a bit at the statement causing both Orpheus and Jett to look at him with confused expressions.

"Try and see things from his perspective for a moment." Roane began.

"He was probably trained to handle everything on his own, and during the first trial probable had a breeze surviving by himself. Now all of a sudden he thrust onto a team which he hasn't had to deal with before." The young hunter explained.

Jett sighed as the logic behind Roane's statement dawned onto him. He remembered that Orpheus had also been a little distant during their first meeting, and that it wasn't until they were put in a life or death situation that the bowman had opened up to him. Orpheus stood up and placed the spikes on Crimson's bed before turning to Roane and Jett.

"Be that as it may, we have to find a way to at least get on amicable terms with the guy." He told them before running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"The faculty sure screwed up though when they made me leader though. It should've been you Roane." He continued as he began changing his clothes from the white tank top and silver shorts he wore for pajamas into one of the sets of school uniforms that had been provided to them.

"You may be surprised at your own abilities Orpheus." Roane stated simply as he also began changing into his uniform.

The Valethornia Academy's school uniform consisted of pearl white dress pants with three sky blue streaks running along the sides from hip to cuff with matching white shoes and socks. The upper-wear for the uniform was made up of three separate articles of clothing. A long-sleeve white button-up collared dress shirt under a white satin sleeveless vest with sky blue lining on the inside and a white dress coat over the vest completed the top of the uniform.

Roane wore the outfit as neat as possible ensuring that there was nothing out of place. Jett, however had most of the buttons of the shirt and vest undone exposing some of his chest and kept the shirt untucked and hanging. Instead of dress shoes he wore a pair of white sneakers and opted to have the coat hanging off his shoulders. Orpheus had followed Roane in wearing the uniform properly and looked at Jett with an exasperated expression.

"Hey, I can't be expected to wear something so stuffy for who knows how long." Jett explained with a cheeky smile.

"At least you opted to wear the uniform. Crimson left without changing into his." Orpheus mused.

The three young men left their room and proceeded down the hall. They ran into a few of the other teams and noticed a few familiar faces from the aircraft as everyone made their way to the cafeteria. Entering the large room, they saw that Crimson had already arrived and was sitting at a table eating his breakfast.

The cafeteria had multiple serving lines with differing menus at each one. Jett and Roane went to the line serving more traditional breakfast foods like biscuits, pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Orpheus choose to get some hot oatmeal and fruit using the self-serve line. When they had finished they made their way to the table with Crimson.

"Hey Crimson, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot." Jett stated trying to start a conversation with the antisocial young man. Crimson looked at Jett with a despondent expression.

"We didn't get off on anything. You actually remind me of one of the people I had stayed with during the first trial." Crimson spoke. Jett looked to Orpheus and Roane with a slightly confused expression. Orpheus decided to jump in at this point.

"We figured you had been alone during the survival trial. How many people were you actually with?" he asked Crimson. The silver-white haired hunter was quiet for a moment before answering.

"There were four of us total. The guy who acted as the de-facto leader was like Jett. He joked around too much and was too friendly with everyone." Crimson answered.

Jett's eyebrow began twitching slightly at that statement but he calmed himself as quickly as he could. Roane watched the interaction with interest.

"Hey Crimson, I'm sorry if my personality rubbed you the wrong way but let's say from here on out we start fresh. You might even be surprised with our skills." Jett said offering his hand to Crimson.

Crimson looked at Jett and his hand before sighing loudly. He begrudgingly took the hand in his and shook it before going back to his meal. It was the first time that the others had seen him without his scarf on and they were mildly surprised to see the set of battle scars on his face. On one cheek a small cross-shaped scar was clearly evident. There was another scar across the bridge of Crimson's nose and on the opposite cheek three streaks, like claw marks.

"I guess you've seen your fair share of combat then." Roane remarked. Crimson's eye met his own and he continued to eat silently.

"What's up bitches?!" a female voice suddenly exclaimed as Orpheus and his team were joined by four other individuals.

The newcomers consisted of three females and a male. Two of the young women were dressed in the appropriate female uniform which consisted of a blouse instead of dress shirt and pearl-white skirt with sky blue trim and white stockings instead of pants while the other female was wearing the boy's version; excluding the jacket which she had tied around her waist.

"Taz Argent." Crimson stated as he looked at the lone male of the group.

Taz smiled and sat down across from Crimson. Next to him sat the vocal female who had interrupted the conversation from before. On the opposite side of the table sitting next to Crimson was a female with an air of authority about her. The last female chose to sit next to Jett opposite of Roane.

"So who are you guys?" the vocal female questioned looking from Crimson to Jett to Orpheus and finally at Roane.

"It's very rude you know, to ask someone's name without first giving your own." Orpheus replied before eating a strawberry.

The female just smiled and laughed. "Well Taz already told us about Crimson Carmine here." She stated pointing at Crimson.

"My name is Malyganya Oregenera. I'm the leader of Team MTAL." The female next to Crimson introduced. Orpheus locked gazes with Malyganya and was caught in her presence. He lost himself in her deep hazel-colored irises for a moment before extending his hand.

"I'm Orpheus, Orpheus Argento." He informed her as they shook hands. "I lead Team ORCJ." He explained still captivated by Malyganya's beauty.

"You don't look like much of a leader to me." The young woman from before voiced.

Taz and Jett both chuckled slightly at her statement. Orpheus blushed slightly from embarrassment and sent Jett a venomous glare.

"You may call me Roane Grant." The quiet, ever observant Roane said as he shook hands with the shy timid girl sitting across from him.

The young woman blushed deeply and shook his hand nervously. "A-A-Amber Isolon, it's a pleasure to meet you." She said in a soft tone.

"Name's Layla Yuki, don't forget it!" Layla exclaimed proudly.

Jett matched Layla's enthusiasm as the two clasped arms. "Nice to meet you Layla. Call me Jett." He told her with a roguish grin.

As introductions were made between the two teams the slight tension between Taz and Crimson could be felt in the air. The two young men hadn't broken each other's gaze since their teams had met. Taz cocky smile and Crimson's dark glare were permanent expressions shown by both.

"You know, if you two have a problem with one another maybe it would be best for the two of you to just solve it and move on." Malyganya observed looking between the two males.

Orpheus had a look of surprise grace his face as he finally noticed the staring contest between the two. He shook his head and sighed. _Dealing with Crimson is certainly going to be a pain in my ass._ He thought to himself.

Suddenly all the scrolls for the members of Team OCRJ began beeping. The young men took out their devices and began reading the message that had been sent to them. Crimson smirked and readjusted his scarf around his face.

"You were saved by the bell this time Argent. Count your blessings and be ready for next time." The young hunter stated as he grabbed his dishes and proceeded to leave the table.

Taz's smile never faded as he watched Crimson walk away. Malyganya looked at her teammates with intrigue noticing how each of them interacted with the members of Team ORCJ as the all-male team left.

"Hey Malyganya, I want to apologize for Crimson's behavior." Orpheus told her while Jett and Roane left to catch up to their teammate. Malyganya gave Orpheus a quizzical glance.

"Orpheus, you're the team leader. You have to start acting like it otherwise you'll just end up getting someone killed." She told him in a tone that seemed neither positive or negative.

Orpheus's face adopted a crestfallen expression as the weight of her words hit him. _I didn't ask for this role. Why should I have to be in charge of their lives. Don't they know I can't be trusted to look after anyone?_ Orpheus thought to himself as he left team MTAL and followed after the other members of his team.

Team ORCJ had been called to meet an instructor in bio-dome number five for their second trial. The group met at the first year locker room where their combat clothes and weapons had been stored the day before. Crimson who had already been dressed for battle retrieved his weapon from its locker and strapped it onto his back.

"Jett, will your injuries be an issue here?" he asked as the other members of his team changed their clothes. Jett smirked and gave Crimson a cocky smile in response.

"Don't you worry; your **meat shield** is in working order." He answered with a slightly dangerous tone in his voice. Walking over to his weapon locker Jett took out his swords and shifted them into the chakram form before clipping the weapons to his belt.

Orpheus and Roane finished changing their clothes at roughly the same time and were inspecting their bows while Jett made sure his bandages were secure. After a final check the team left the locker room and proceeded towards the bio-dome area. It took them roughly half an hour to get to their assigned location and upon entering they were surprised to see the landscape provided.

The bio-dome's current configuration was that of a ruined city with foliage growing into some of the structures. The four young hunters walked through the desolate streets keeping their eyes peeled for signs of danger. Coming to a cross road that was littered with broken vehicles the young men saw a figure standing in the middle of the street.

They recognized the man as one of the four instructors that had led the groups to the trams during the first trial. "So you four are the members of Team ORCJ?" he asked. Like Crimson, the man wore a scarf that covered the lower half of his face. His voice however came out clear and unmuffled.

"You're that famous guy, Tenebrous Something." Jett called out pointing to the man.

"Tenebrous Tauron." Crimson corrected as his eye narrowed towards the instructor. Even though none of them could see his face they could all tell he was smiling beneath his scarf.

"Who knows if that's true or not." He mused with a shrug.

Their instructor was dressed differently than they had initially seen him. He was shirtless and wore flexible loose-fit shorts. They could see a tribal dragon tattoo crossing the area of his chest normally covered by his vest trailing behind his body onto his back and running alongside the side of his body. He stood facing them with his arms crossed.

"So then, what should we call you?" Roane asked noticing movement in the buildings nearby.

"You may refer to me as Prof T." the man replied.

"OK then Prof, what's our trial?" Jett asked as he took out his chakrams noticing the darting shadows on his left.

Orpheus had already readied his bow and held two arrows in his free hand. Crimson was the only one who had yet to draw his weapon. The instructor chuckled softly.

"In every battle there are always multiple ways to achieve the desired result. For example, you could lure an enemy into a trap or sneak past their defenses and go straight for their leader. For your second trial you must each retrieve one of these seals from me." He told them holding up three bronze-colored badges.

"I think you left one out Professor." Orpheus said as the shadows began moving towards them. The instructors chuckle only intensified.

"I didn't, trust me." He replied.

From the shadows burst dozens of Creeper-Grimm. They charged at Team ORCJ with ferocious intensity. Orpheus, Jett, and Roane each went to work fighting the Grimm. Crimson however broke through the monsters and charged their instructor.

"Crimson, what the hell are you doing?!" Jett cried out as he kicked a creeper away from him.

"Completing the objective" was the young man's response as he jumped into the air and kicked out at the instructor.

The man caught Crimson's leg easily and turned his face to meet Crimson's. Even though the man was blindfolded the young hunter could tell that if he had eyes they would be locked to his own.

"I applaud your initiative." The professor stated before quickly jumping into the air and delivering a powerful spin kick to Crimson's torso. The young man was sent flying backwards and crashed into Roane, knocking them both to the ground.

"You have four hours to find me and get the seals. This area is crawling with Grimm as well so you'll have to contend with them as well as me. Good luck gentlemen." The instructor stated before disappearing in a whirl of smoke and leaves.

Crimson and Roane got to their feet as Jett and Orpheus joined them placing their backs against one another. Along with the creeps a few beowolves and werecats came lumbering from the shadows surrounding the team.

"Got any bright ideas Orpheus?" Jett asked with a cocky smile gracing his face.

Orpheus looked around as he tried to formulate a plan.

"I've got one." Crimson stated before breaking the formation to charge in.

"Damn it Crimson!" Orpheus swore.

Jett followed suit and broke rank on the opposite side jumping headfirst into a group. The two archers looked at one another and sighed before firing into the encroaching swarm.

 _Observation Deck_

Five pair of eyes watched Team ORCJ performance below. A door opened nearby and in walked a man dressed in military attire.

"So this is Team ORCJ?" he asked.

The five observers gave various remarks of acknowledgments and continued to watch the scene unfold. The man sat down in a large chair and watched the main monitor that focused on the team.

"Alright then" he began pulling out a clipboard.

"Day One."

* * *

A/N: You know the deal, drop a review with your thoughts or concerns. Things you think I might need to improve on or how a certain character is portrayed. I'll see you all tomorrow with a new chapter.


	9. Chapter VIII

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter VIII: Team ORCJ – Second Trial Part One

A/N: Thanks for the feedback, insights, and inputs everyone. I'll keep what I've learned from you in mind going forwards with the story.

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy Bio-Dome Number Five_

The body of a large alpha beowolf was sent flying into the side of a broken down car before dissipating into the ground. Crimson Carmine spun around with his giant sword and cut through three lower-class beowolves in one stroke, shredding their bodies with his swords serrated edges.

He was aware of everything happening around him. Ever since the instructor, Professor T, had knocked him back the young hunter had been fighting desperately to get through the hoard of Grimm that prevented him from continuing his mission.

Roughly twenty feet behind him the archers of his so-called team stood back to back firing projectiles into the swarming beast around them. He was only mildly surprised that the two ranged fighters were holding their own against such numbers. Further away he saw Jett fighting viciously with a pair of twin swords. The young man was a whirlwind of blades and limbs as he delivered swift death to the Grimm.

Seeing that the others were effectively holding their own, Crimson focused his attention on the remaining beowolves and werecats surrounding him. Resting his weapon across his shoulder Crimson scanned the crowd and pressed the release button that was embedded within the golden disk near the blades base.

Suddenly the sword split in half directly down the middle. The handle of the weapon swiveled slightly to adjust for the weapons new form, shortening its length two roughly a hand and a half. Holding one weapon in a reverse grip behind him and the other in a standard grip Crimson narrowed his eye at his foes.

In a split second the young rose-eyed swordsman was slicing through the Grimm. He cut horizontally with his reverse grip sword first. The attack ripped through four targets at once and was followed by a twirling diagonal cut that took down three more Grimm. Making sure not to miss a beat Crimson continued his assault by quickly double cutting his reverse gripped blade in a slight zigzag from right to left and then left to right.

Twirling the weapon in his hand Crimson held both weapons in a more traditional dual-wielding stance and sliced downward with his free blade before following up with a quick cross cut with his other blade. He cut through Grimm by the threes, fours, and fives with speed and dexterity befitting his form. In less than three minutes of various cutting, slicing, and slashing motions the Grimm which had been surrounding him all lay dead and dissipating.

Crimson looked around as Orpheus and Roane picked off a few stragglers that had decided to retreat. Jett on the other hand was sitting on a nearby broken column with one leg dangling just smirking at crimson.

"Took you long enough to finish." Jett stated cockily as he dropped from the pillar and walked over to the team. Crimson remained silent and turned away from the onyx-haired swordsman.

Orpheus looked at Jett and then at Crimson. He turned his bow back into its lyre form and attached it to his belt before scratching the back of his head in frustration.

"Look you guys. We need to get our shit together." He stated trying to sound authoritative.

Crimson's gaze focused on the bowman but he remained silent. Jett just placed his hands behind his head and smiled broadly. Roane was the only one who looked like he would be of any help.

"Here is what we know; this area is crawling with Grimm. Professor T is also hiding here and may have laid out traps for us. We should devise a strategy for locating him and luring him into a trap of our own." Orpheus began explaining to his team.

Crimson scoffed loudly and began walking away. He was stopped by Jett grabbing his shoulder and turned slightly to glare at the offending appendage. Jett's usually friendly smile was replaced with one of hidden danger.

"Crimson, where do you think you're going?" Jett asked as air began to swirl around him.

"I don't have time to waste listening to plans doomed for failure. With my semblance getting the seals will be a simple." Crimson answered.

"Having you all come would be pointless and counterproductive to my methods." He continued before roughly shaking Jett's hand from his shoulder.

"Crimson didn't you agree to at least try and work with us earlier today during breakfast?" Roane asked his teammate holding his arms out in a peaceful gesture.

"I don't recall speaking those words, although I'll admit that your skills are above what I expected." Crimson told Roane as he scanned Orpheus and Jett's faces.

"What do you think you'll accomplish alone against a profession hunter?" Orpheus asked although his tone was softer than before, evidence that he was uncertain about taking command.

"My semblance allows me to completely mask my presence. No one can see, smell, or hear me while it is activated. Remember what the instructor said 'There are multiple ways to achieve an objective in battle'." Crimson explained.

"Actually what he said was 'In every battle there are always multiple ways to achieve the desired result'." Jett corrected whilst wearing a smug grin. Orpheus sighed and shook his head before giving Jett a look that said "Really, did you have to do that?"

"Childish fool." Crimson spat the insult.

"I'd rather be a childish fool than a solitary jackass." Jett countered.

"Jett, that's enough!" Roane exclaimed, surprising everyone as his voice rose. Jett turned to Roane and scoffed before turning and walking off.

"If he wants to play lone wolf, I say fucking let him." Jett called back before giving the group the middle finger and continuing to walk away.

"Jett, come back here!" Orpheus exclaimed. Crimson shook his head and began walking away in the opposite direction.

"This team is a joke. I'll get the seals and keep one for myself. You three can fight over the remaining two." Crimson stated before activating his semblance.

To Orpheus and Roane, it looked as if Crimson had fused with the air as he shimmered away. Orpheus sighed and sat down placing his head in his hands. Roane sat down next to Orpheus and watched as Jett got further and further away.

"You should have been the leader Roane. I can't control those two." Orpheus finally spoke after Jett had turned a corner further down the road.

Roane looked at Orpehus and placed his hand on the young man's shoulder. "Being a leader isn't about controlling your followers Orpheus. You have to lead and inspire them to your cause." Roane spoke with a calm and reassuring tone.

"How can I lead if they won't follow?" Orpheus inquired with a desperate tone.

Roane was quiet for a few minutes before he answered. "Show them that you are worth following." He finally replied with a soft smile.

 _Collapsed Building – half a mile away_

Crimson looked down at the lone figure below him. Tracking the instructor had been a simple task. The man had purposely left an easy trail. Crimson, however was experienced and skillfully avoided the traps that had placed about the area.

Now he hung off the side of a collapsed building as he waited for the perfect time to strike. He scanned the area once more for any irregularities. Confident that his approach would be flawless, Crimson leapt down towards the blindfolded man.

As he neared his target Crimson prepared himself for the quick grab and snatch he had planned. He was instead greeted by a sharp kick to the center of his face. Crying out in pain the teenager crashed to the ground and writhed for a few seconds. Professor T stood over Crimson and chuckled.

"How did I know you would be the one to pull a stunt like this?" the huntsman asked rhetorically before delivering a sharp kick into Crimson's torso. A mixture of blood and spittle flew from Crimson's mouth into his scarf as he was lifted from the ground and sent flying backwards into the building he had just jumped from.

"Crimson Carmine, one of a very select few who the Headmistress personally invited to attend this academy." Professor T began speaking. "Trained from an early age in stealth and tracking, you were a prodigy within your village. By the age of nine you had already unlocked your semblance and once you hit sixteen the headmistress reached out to your parents to have you join her school." He continued.

Crimson stood up weakly and coughed before drawing his sword. "How did you know I was here?" he asked.

"My semblance is a perfect counter to yours." The instructor answered as he got into his fighting stance.

"While you can erase your presence from people's senses, you can't erase your existence from this world." The man continued.

Crimson grit his teeth as his jaw clenched tightly. "Ok, so I can't use my semblance against you. I'm still going to get one of those seals from you." He stated defiantly before splitting his sword into its dual weapon form.

Professor T was silent but mockingly motioned for Crimson to come at him. Crimson charged in at top speed swinging his swords the young swordsman began a complex combination of slashes. He swung left to right, diagonally up and down, and even added a few crisscrossing chops.

The instructor merely avoided the attacks before finally catching one of the blades on the dull side. "Did you really think that you, a sixteen-year old boy would be able to take me, a professional hunter in single combat?" he asked with a hint of anger.

Crimson struggle to free his weapon from the older man's grasp and failing to do so swung with his free blade. The attack however was awkward and easily kicked away. "Arrogant fool." Professor T spat as he yanked the other weapon out of Crimson's grasp leaving the young man completely disarmed.

Crimson looked to his left and right where the swords had landed. He knew that he'd never be able to get to them so he opted for the only option available. Charging in Crimson kicked out at Professor T's head. The attack was easily blocked as the older man countered with a straight punch to the center of Crimson's chest.

There was a faint cracking sound as Crimson's ribcage fractured slightly. "I'll show you the depths of foolish pride." Professor T threatened before changing his stance.

Before Crimson could react he was quickly struck with a lightning quick right-left combo. This was followed by a short uppercut to the chin and a left-handed chop to the side of the head. The flow of attacks was seamless as the instructors right elbow smashed onto his shoulder, dislocating it. The man dropped low and delivered a sweeping crescent kick to Crimson's legs, tripping the young man.

The speed and efficiency of the combination left Crimson stunned as he free floated. Professor T wasn't finished yet however as he continued the sweeping motion in a full three-sixty-degree circle and grabbed Crimson by the ankles before spinning once more and launching the teen a couple dozen feet away. Crimson hit the ground, hard and bounced three times before sliding to a stop.

"Your problem is you think you're better than your teammates, better than the other students here." Professor T began speaking as he walked towards Crimson.

"You obviously didn't take the headmistress' words to heart during the opening ceremony. You are nothing and it is time you realized that there will always be someone better than you. Only by trusting your team could you even hope to beat me." He stated with a sense of finality as he lifted Crimson up by the scruff of his shirt and scarf.

"I couldn't have put it better myself, Prof!" Jett's voice exclaimed from above as the indigo-eyed swordsman crashed down into Professor T. Jett was quick to follow the surprise attack with a spinning double kick to the instructor's chest before gathering a sphere of condensed air and firing it into the center of the older man's chest.

Professor T was sent flying several feet backwards and through the wall of a nearby building. As he tried to stand he was struck by a combination of various explosive arrows. When the dust settle from the explosions, Professor T walked from the building with various scuff marks on his body.

"Well shit, that was embarrassing." He voiced aloud while sheepishly scratching the back of his head. He had kept his semblance contained to the minimum needed for efficient single combat and thus was unable to perceive Jett's existence until it was too late. Sitting down the hunter smiled behind his scarf. _They rescued him, there may be hope for this team yet._ He thought to himself as he began to mentally prepare for the next encounter.

* * *

A/N: A little shorter than I expected but it seems like a good place to stop.


	10. Chapter IX

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter IX: Team ORCJ – Second Trial Part Two

A/N: For those concerned about my frequent updates I appreciate the concern. I'll probably start taking things slower after another few chapters but will keep the story updated as frequently as I can, following that.

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy Bio-Dome Number Five_

The members of Team ORCJ had just finished fighting off the small army of Grimm that ambushed them and were currently trying to devise a plan. That is to say Orpheus was trying and failing to devise a plan. Jett and Crimson were too busy bickering with one another. Roane was doing his best to keep the peace between everyone.

"Childish fool." Crimson spat out insultingly.

"I'd rather be a childish fool than a solitary jackass." Jett countered.

"Jett, that's enough!" Roane exclaimed, surprising everyone as his voice rose. Jett turned to Roane and scoffed before turning and walking off.

"If he wants to play lone wolf, I say fucking let him." Jett called back before giving the group the middle finger and continuing to walk away.

"Jett, come back here!" Orpheus exclaimed. Crimson shook his head and began walking away in the opposite direction.

Jett refused to look back at the others. He wasn't usually one to lose his cool and the fact that Crimson was able to push his buttons caused the young man to feel disappointment at his lack of self-control. He could still hear Orpheus and Roane behind him but just kept walking before turning a corner.

The streets of the decimated city were deserted save the odd car or motorcycle. Jett mentally began counting to himself as he walked. He knew that he had made a mistake. All-joking, aside he had antagonized Crimson past the point of mere fun. The ebony-haired warrior walked into a dimly-lit building and leaned against a nearby pillar.

"God damn it all." He swore to no one in particular.

Closing his eyes, Jett activated his semblance and felt a cool breeze begin to swirl around him. For him the wind was his best friend. It was one of the good constants in his life. The wind had never abandoned him. It acted as both his sword and shield when he needed it to, as well as a comforting and relaxing presence.

Jett continued to stand in the soft swelling vortex and felt his emotional state stabilize. He began to revisit memories of his childhood. From the time he could remember Jett had always been alone. He practically born into an orphanage as his parents had given him up mere hours after his birth. He remembered being the quiet kid at the orphanage. He never got close to anyone because he knew that they could be adopted and taken away at any time.

He was a polite child and spoke only when spoken to. Jet smiled as the memories of his adoption came flowing into his mind. It had only been a few days after his eighth birthday when a faunus family came and began the process of adoption. A month or so later he became part of their family.

Jett took the change easily and rolled with it. His new parents accepted him easily and loved him unconditionally. For the first time he knew what it was like to belong. His life would be pretty average for the next few years until his foster father, a ram faunus named Red began training him and telling young Jett about his days as a hunter.

Jett opened his eyes as the memories of his training sessions with Red began replaying in front of him. He got into his unarmed fighting stance and began to shadowbox with the memory of his father. The endless hours the two of them had spent to were some of the few precious memories Jett had of his childhood.

Between the stories and the training Jett knew that it was natural to want to be a hunter himself and strove to improve his abilities with self-taught techniques. He never attended a preliminary school and had filled out the application form for Valethornia academy twice before but was rejected on each occasion. This never dissuaded the young man as he filled out the application a third time and was finally accepted.

As his body flowed through the motions of combat Jett thought back to Orpheus and Roane. They had survived the first trial only by working together and right now he was part of the problem keeping the team from unifying. His arm stopped mid-strike as he realized he was letting his friends down.

"Maybe I'm being to presumptuous calling them friends." He voiced aloud hearing a faint echo of himself in the building.

"You aren't being presumptuous at all." Roane's voice spoke from behind Jett.

Turning slowly, Jett saw Orpheus and Roane standing at the entrance of the building. The archers walked inside and made their way to Jett before stopping a few paces away from him. At this Jett saw Orpheus continue to walk towards him alone.

Soon the two hunters-in-training were face to face roughly a foot away from one another.

"Yea, so I-" Jett began but was interrupted by a swift right hook to the face.

He stumbled back a bit and grabbed his cheek, rubbing the spot Orpheus had hit. The look of confusion on Jett's face was evident and he looked to Roane for some type of explanation. The peacekeeping Roane however merely smiled at him and crossed his arms.

"I'm not that good at communicating with others." Orpheus finally spoke. Jett looked at the boy and was surprised to see anguish on his face.

"I don't know why I was made leader. I don't even believe I can lead you." Orpheus continued. "You are my friend though Jett and I realize that since we are on the same team that I have to look out for you." He spoke, his tone a mix between scared and somber.

"I don't know what I can say that would make you want to follow me, but I want you to give me the chance to prove that I am capable of leading. I want to be able to prove it to myself as well." Orpheus pleaded with a slight crack in his voice. His blue and amber eyes never broke away from Jett's dark magenta shaded irises.

Jett continued looking into Orpheus' eyes and saw the spark of resolute confidence begin to form. Since meeting Orpheus, Jett had noticed that the young man's eyes seemed to be lackluster and dull. Now however they had a small shimmering glean to them.

Jett smiled at Orpheus and began laughing soon afterwards.

"You don't know how to communicate with people so you punched me in the face?" he asked between bouts of laughter.

Orpheus blushed slightly and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm still working at this whole leadership thing." Orpheus explained softly.

Jett stopped laughing and walked over to Orpheus before placing his hand on the young man's shoulder.

"I was an ass. After the time we spent in the forest surviving, I should have handled myself better. I'm sorry." He said to Orpheus and looked to Roane as well. Roane nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement.

"As your leader I share some of the blame. I should have been a little more assertive when dealing with Crimson." Orpheus acknowledged placing his hand on Jett's shoulder.

There was a brief silence as the two friends smiled at one another before Jett started laughing.

"Alright this shit is getting too mushy and cliché." he stated excitedly as he playfully pushed Orpheus away. The young man stumbled slightly before catching his footing and smiling at Jett.

"First thing first, we have to go get Crimson. Even if he's found Professor T, there's no way he can handle him by himself." Orpheus stated affirmatively. Roane walked towards both Jett and Orpheus with his semblance activated.

"From what I can see, he has already started fighting." Roane informed the other two. Orpheus looked at Roane with surprise and alarm.

"There's no time to waste then, lets hurry!" he exclaimed and began running out of the building. Roane and Jett followed suit, chasing after their leader.

"How far away are Crimson and the Professor?" Orpheus asked as they ran through the streets.

Various Grimm began to slide out from the shadows and chase after them as they ran prompting the trio of trainees to draw their weapons. Jett turned his weapon into its shuriken form and launched it into a group of Grimm by using the wind to direct it. Roane and Orpheus fired arrow after arrow into their targets and never missed a pace as they ran.

"They're about three-fourths of a mile away, but from the looks of things Crimson won't last long." Roane finally answered as he struck down another Grimm.

"We need to find a way to speed up or we won't make it in time to get him." Orpheus observed as he began running full sprint.

Roane ran slightly ahead of Jett and Orpheus leading them towards Crimson's location but he knew that at their current speed they wouldn't reach Crimson before the instructor would finish him.

"If a speed boost is all we need, then I've got the perfect one!" Jett exclaimed as he caught his shuriken and began gathering wind around the group. He manipulated the air flow around their giving them zero air resistance and streamlining their running as they began drafting behind Roane.

"Orpheus, time your movements with mine and break the slipstream in formation with me." Jett called out as they ran.

Orpheus looked at Jett with a quizzical expression.

"We've never done something like this before; how do you expect it to work?" he asked as they continued running. Jett smiled in response and gave Orpheus a thumbs up.

"I don't know if it will, but I trust you to know." He replied and broke free from the slipstream pulling ahead of Roane. Seconds later Orpheus matched Jett's pace and also broke through the slipstream and burst forwards with a surprising boost in speed.

As Jett and Orpheus passed him Roane felt an extremely strong drag of wind pull him forward back into the lead position. The trio continued the motion of swapping in and out of the slipstream and consistently kept their momentum high as they closed the distance between themselves and Crimson.

"Go around this corner and through the building on our right, he'll be just past it!" Roane exclaimed as the trio ran.

They entered a building and could hear the sounds of battle not too far off. Adding more speed to his step Jett pulled ahead of both Roane and Orpheus and smiled to them.

"Break the slipstream and launch me, I'll try and take the Prof by surprise while you guys find a position to snipe from." He instructed.

"Solid plan, but make sure you don't over expose yourself. Our objective is getting Crimson not fighting the instructor." Orpheus clarified. The look on Jett's face, for once, was serious as he acknowledged his leaders command.

Breaking through the slipstream Orpheus and Roane rushed past Jett. The young man released his semblance to the fullest and felt the wind rushing through him as he was lifted off his feet. With the power of the slipstream and his semblance working together Jett practically flew forwards through the hall way and out the window ahead of him.

"You obviously didn't take the headmistress's words to heart during the opening ceremony. You are nothing and it is time you realized that there will always be someone better than you. Only by trusting your team could you even hope to beat me." He heard Professor T say to Crimson as he lifted the young man up from the ground.

"I couldn't have put it better myself, Prof!" Jett exclaimed from above as he crashed down at full speed into Professor T. He quickly followed up the surprise attack with a spinning double kick to the instructor's chest before gathering a sphere of condensed air between his hands and firing it into the center of the older man's chest.

As the instructor went flying backwards into a nearby building Jett crashed to the ground, exhausted after using his semblance for such a long time at such an extreme level. Looking around he saw Crimson struggling to stand and went over to the battered young hunter.

"Let's go, he won't be down for long." Jett said as he lifted Crimson to his feet and slung the wounded warriors arm over his shoulder. Hearing movement off to the side Jett saw the instructor struggle to stand up from the surprise attack. Before he could get his bearings however two arrows rained down from above and struck the building around him causing two explosions to erupt and envelope the area.

"Let's go you guys!" Orpheus exclaimed as he and Roane ran towards Crimson and Jett. Roane had picked up Crimson's swords and was carrying them with slight difficulty as he followed the others away from the area.

The team ran for a few minutes before hiding inside a nearby building. Jett and Orpheus were breathing heavily having carried Crimson between them. Jett's exhaustion from the prolonged use of his semblance was finally catching up to him. Only Roane seemed to be in decent shape as he placed Crimson's weapons down. Crimson struggled to stand on his own and walked towards his swords with difficulty.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jett asked as he continued trying to catch his breath.

"Finishing the mission." Crimson replied.

"Are you serious?!" Jett exclaimed as he made a move towards Crimson. Orpheus however beat him to the punch, literally. A swift right cross knocked Crimson to the ground. Standing over the wounded young hunter Orpheus glared at Crimson with as much anger as he could muster.

"I have had it with your lone wolf shit Crimson. You need to rest and recuperate. You may not like it but _ **I**_ am the leader of this team and you will follow my command!" Orpheus exclaimed pushing Crimson down as the young man struggled to stand.

"We don't have time to rest, it's already been an hour since the trial started." Crimson protested as he opted to just sit instead of getting knocked down again.

"That's fine, it means we have two hours to rest up, strategize and maybe actually do some damn bonding." Orpheus shot back not taking his eyes off Crimson.

The two continued staring one another down before Crimson finally looked away in defeat.

"On your head be it then if we fail." Crimson muttered softly.

Orpheus exhaled loudly and slid to the ground. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Roane smiling down at him. He smiled back softly and tried to relax.

The team, as a whole, wasn't looking too good all things considered. Jett was exhausted with his aura levels drained, Crimson was seriously injured with the fractured ribs, Orpheus was stressing out having to deal with the responsibilities of leadership, and Roane was simply trying to help everyone at once. Silence filled the building space as each teen was left to his own thoughts.

Roane looked over at Crimson and then towards the swords that the young man wielded.

"Crimson, I've got a question for you." Roane spoke, finally breaking the silence.

Crimson opened his eye and looked at Roane as the only indication he had hear him.

"How do you wield that thing?" he queried. "The weight of the weapon must be massive."

Crimson chuckled softly. "It is extremely heavy and to be honest I get pretty tired wielding it for a prolonged period of time. To answer your question though, I fight using momentum based combat." Crimson answered with a slight shrug.

At this Jett walked over to the swords and inspected them closely.

"Momentum-based combat? How do you mean?" he asked turning to face Crimson.

The silver-white haired ninja-esque hunter sighed loudly as he tried to think of a proper explanation.

"Basically I'm always moving with the weapon as I fight. I allow the momentum from one attack flow into the next one and so on. This way my body doesn't have to strain with lifting and swinging the weapons but only directing them." He told them.

"If that's the case wouldn't your exposure to a counterattack be increased since you can't break the flow of your swings?" Roane questioned grabbing his chin in thought. Crimson snickered and stood up.

Orpheus who hadn't removed his gaze stood up as well. Crimson shook his head noticing Orpheus.

"I'm not going to try and run, I just want to prove a point." He explained causing Orpheus to relax slightly.

Standing away from Roane and Jett, Crimson looked at both his teammates and narrowed his eye slightly. Before either one of them could react Crimson was on the move. He had a hand to both of their throats by the time they realized he had moved.

"With a combination of my speed and semblance, a counterattack is damn near impossible." Crimson stated before going back to the spot he had been sitting at before. Jett rubbed the front of his neck where Crimson's fingertips had been seconds earlier.

"Basically you're a blitz fighter. You hit your opponent as hard and fast as possible before you run out of stamina or can be countered." Orpheus observed. Crimson nodded once.

"A crude observation, but mostly correct." He agreed closing his eye.

"Jett, you use a different fighting style depending on the form your weapon currently has." Orpheus stated looking at Jett for acknowledgment.

"Yea I do." He replied taking the weapons from his belt. "It has four forms I can use for close, mid-range, and long distance combat." He continued.

Jett showcased his abilities by first giving a small demonstration on how his chakrams acted as efficient melee weapons and could combo as throwing weapons as well. He made sure to use the walls for reflecting the disks back to him so that he wouldn't have to use his semblance. From the chakrams he moved on to the twin swords form used for close-combat and then to his spear which he preferred for mid-range combat. Finally, his weapon took on its shuriken form which was exclusively long range.

As he watched Jett demonstrate his abilities, Orpheus began strategizing. He took the information that had been given to him about his team and began weighing their strengths and weaknesses.

"Crimson, if you can mask your presence from anyone how was Professor T able to beat you?" Roane asked surprising Orpheus with his insight.

Crimson made an odd sound as he opened his eye and glared at the ceiling. "The instructor's semblance is a counter to mine. I believe that's why he was chosen for our trial. He knew my history so it's safe to assume he knows about you guys as well." Crimson explained.

"Well I don't broadcast my semblance. Since I come from a little-known family in a backwoods village I doubt he knows of my ability." Jett spoke smirking.

"I want to try an experiment. Crimson activate your semblance." Orpheus instructed.

Crimson looked to his leader and nodded before shimmering into the air. Orpheus closed his eyes and began strumming his lyre. Suddenly his mind was filled with lights. To his left a pale green flame floated in mid-air. Next to it was a bright golden-red flame. In front of him and slightly to his right he saw a dark blood-red flame glowing.

He strummed the lyre once more and suddenly a wispy trail stretched out from his body. The trail was a pale clear-white hue. It connected to the flames and immediately the individual trails brightened up until each was half the original color and half the color of each flame. The blood-red flame resisted the connection at first but eventually stopped fighting it.

Orpheus opened his eyes and saw his teammates staring at him. He smiled softly and began playing a soft tune on his lyre.

"This is my semblance; I call it Link." Orpheus explained to the others.

"I can link my soul and senses to others. With special chords from my lyre I can channel my aura into others." He continued as he played a soft melody on the lyre.

"I'm not limited in the capacity of only boosting others aura levels. If need be I can connect to an enemy so that they feel any damage inflicted on a target associated with the link." Orpheus told them.

"If damage is reflected, wouldn't we feel any damage that we inflicted on a linked target?" Roane questioned.

Orpheus shook his head and continued playing his song.

"Any damage done to a target would all be redirected to me." He reassured the young man.

"Orpheus, this semblance is a double-edged sword." Jett said in an apprehensive tone.

"You can see why I would rarely use it. For the sake of this trial however I fear I'll have to make use of this ability." Orpheus told them in response.

"How much damage can you actually take?" Crimson asked with a curious tone in his voice.

Orpheus shrugged and broke the link between them, having spread his aura to Crimson and Jett to speed up their healing. "I honestly don't know. I've never had to push my ability to its limits and it's not really something I'm willing to risk you know." He replied exhaling softly.

Crimson flexed his arms and hands feeling the rejuvenating effects of his restored aura levels speed up his body's natural healing process. Jett's breathing also returned to normal as his aura levels helped restore his stamina.

"I can also use minor telepathy while linked but it's a one-way communication." Orpheus informed them.

Crimson stood up and began slowly flexing his body noticing how much lighter he felt.

"Still a long way away from being at one-hundred percent but with another hour of resting I should be close to seventy." He stated walking over to his weapons.

"So between the four of us, only two of our semblances will be of any use in this coming battle." Jett stated more than asked.

"My 'Eyes of Truth' might be useful in predicting how Professor T will fight. Because I can see the truth of the world and everything in it he won't be able to use a feint in combat which, as a martial artist should dramatically reduce his arsenal against us." Roane offered briefly activating his semblance.

Orpheus nodded and continued thinking of the combative applications for everyone's abilities. As Orpheus thought to himself Crimson and Jett walked off a ways and began speaking in private.

"Crimson, I'm sorry." Jett apologized to his teammate.

Crimson was silent and looked at Jett with a blank expression.

"Back when we cleared the Grimm out I had Roane and Orpheus backing me up." Jett elaborated.

"I made a big deal of clearing out the Grimm when it shouldn't have been a competition to begin with." Jett continued to speak.

"I also apologize, Jett Volos." Crimson interrupted.

The look of surprise on Jett's face was priceless and slowly turned into a broad grin.

Crimson almost immediately regretted apologizing due to Jett's next actions. The ebony-haired multi-weapon wielder slung his arms around Crimson's shoulders and laughed excitedly.

"Well damn, it looks like you do have some sort of conscience after all." Jett joked.

"Here I thought we would have to teach you how to actually be human." Jett laughed.

Crimson simply shook his head at Jett's antics. Roane looked on from a distance and felt a tiny pang in his chest at how friendly they looked but choose to ignored it. Walking over to Orpheus Roane sat down next to his leader and watched as the young man drew diagrams in the ground.

"I take it this is your battle plan?" he questioned. The design was rough but legible. A lyre, a bow, crossed swords, and a double-bladed sword had been used to represent each member of Team ORCJ along with various lines leading towards a scarf which represented Professor T.

Orpheus was deep in thought and kept scanning the design, nodding and muttering to himself. He finally looked up and for the first time Roane saw Orpheus with a genuine smile on his face.

"Hey Jett and Crimson, get over here." Orpheus called out to the two young trainee hunters. They rushed over and knelt down as Orpheus began explaining his strategy to them.

 _Deserted Shopping Plaza – one and half hours later_

Professor T felt the existence of all four members of Team ORCJ enter his sphere of detection and smiled. _So they've finally decided to bring the fight to me. This should be interesting to say the least._ He thought to himself as he began to close the sphere range to only include the area which would serve as their combat space.

His aura levels had steadily dropped with the fields expansion. He knew this battle would be one of endurance but was confident his levels would hold out longer than the students. Roughly fifteen minutes later Orpheus, Roane, Crimson and Jett entered the plaza together.

"So I take it you are all ready?" the instructor asked. The four young hunters each drew their weapons and got into their battle formation with Crimson and Jett taking the vanguard while Orpheus and Roane brought up the rear.

"Ready? Hey Crimson, he wants to know if we're ready." Jett said with a playful smile.

"Ready, ready doesn't even fucking describe it." Crimson spoke in response with a dangerous tone in his voice.

"Remember to stick to the plan guys." Roane reminded the two gung-ho members of the team.

"Alright then Professor, it's time to show you what we're truly made of." Orpheus spoke with voice full of confidence as he notched his first arrow.

"Ok then, bring it on."

* * *

A/N: Yea so originally Team ORCJ's second trial was supposed to be a two-parter but I realized halfway through part one that might have to be expanded to three or four but with the completion of this chapter I can confidently say their trial will conclude next chapter. #maybespoileralert? Hoped you enjoyed reading.


	11. Chapter X

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter X: Team ORCJ – Second Trial Part Three

A/N: I took a break from updating the past two days so that everyone could have a chance to read the previous chapter. I'll most likely refrain from updating during the weekend and only during the weekdays going forward.

* * *

 _Bio-dome Five - Deserted Shopping Plaza_

Professor T felt the existence of all four members of Team ORCJ enter his sphere of detection and smiled. _So they've finally decided to bring the fight to me. This should be interesting to say the least._ He thought to himself as he began to close the sphere range to only include the area which would serve as their combat space.

His aura levels had steadily dropped with the fields expansion. He knew this battle would be one of endurance but was confident his levels would hold out longer than the students. Roughly fifteen minutes later Orpheus, Roane, Crimson and Jett entered the plaza together.

"So I take it you are all ready?" the instructor asked. The four young hunters each drew their weapons and got into their battle formation with Crimson and Jett taking the vanguard while Orpheus and Roane brought up the rear.

"Ready? Hey Crimson, he wants to know if we're ready." Jett said with a playful smile.

"Ready, ready doesn't even fucking describe it." Crimson spoke in response with a dangerous tone in his voice.

"Remember to stick to the plan guys." Roane reminded the two gung-ho members of the team.

"Alright then Professor, it's time to show you what we're truly made of." Orpheus spoke with voice full of confidence as he notched his first arrow.

"Ok then, bring it on."

Immediately flights of arrows began to streak towards Professor T as Roane unleashed a bombardment of shots. Orpheus began running off to the side making sure to time his shots with Roane. One would fire as the other reloaded; ensuring that the barrage of arrows continued without delay. Professor T deflected most of the arrows with his arm's bracers and leg's greaves; while the ones that struck exploded with a different elemental effect.

The damage he suffered was negligible; but what really threw him was the knockback from each explosion. Crimson and Jett took advantage of the small instances where the instructor was off balance and charged the man timing their movements with the arrow strikes. Crimson was the faster of the two and reached the target first.

Leaping into the air the young man stabbed his sword in a diagonal thrust towards Professor T's chest. The older hunter deflected the strike with the backside of his left gauntlet. The ferocity of the strike sent sparks flying as the two separate pieces of metal scrapped against one another.

As the tip of the sword dug into the ground Crimson used the handle and his forward momentum to swivel his body around. He struck out with a backwards side-swivel kick using his left leg. Professor T adjusted his left arm to guard and match the strike. With his right hand the older man grabbed hold of Crimson's ankle.

Before Professor T could counter any further however, Crimson punched at his face with a powerful right hook. Professor T was forced to catch the attack in his left hand, but Crimson wasn't finished as he brought his right leg up and around so that now his body was upside down. Dropping his leg with the added force of gravity and momentum Crimson smashed the limb against Professor T's left arm which buckled slightly from the impact.

Still held in his upside down position Crimson smirked behind his scarf as his left hand hung free. He began to quickly unleash a barrage of quick and heavy strikes on his targets lower torso, the core of his body. _Damn, I let my guard down for just a second._ Professor T thought to himself as Crimson's assault continued.

The engagement lasted only a few seconds however as T lifted Crimson into the air and quickly delivered a punishing high-kick directly onto the young man's solar plexus. Crimson grunted from the impact but was able to prevent himself from being thrown away by grabbing the handle of his sword. The force of the attack however had still been more than he was expecting as his hand slid to the pommel of the weapon and even pulled the sword from the ground causing Crimson to land and slid awkwardly.

Professor T was already moving before Crimson could regain his balance as he nimbly avoided both Roane and Orpheus's arrows. Pulling back his fist T went in to deliver a killer blow. Knowing he wouldn't be able to avoid it, Crimson braced himself for the blow.

 **BCRSHHHURAH**

The crackling muffled crash of T's fist on Jett's crossed swords radiated throughout the plaza. Crimson felt a massive explosive gust of wind warp around the three of them. Jett, it seems, had used his semblance to simultaneously speed himself up as well as create a condensed shield over his swords which cushioned the attack dealt by T.

Smirking Jett pushed the Professor away with a surge of strength. The unexpected guard and counter left T open as two powerful charged shots, fired by Roane, crashed into his back causing him to stumble. Jett wasted no time exploiting this opening as he delivered a swift combination of slashes. First striking out against T's chest with a diagonal right cross from his left sword, followed by a downwards cut with his right blade. He continued with a swift backwards cut using his left sword across T's torso from the left waist to the right shoulder.

As Jett was about to bring his right sword down for another attack though T caught his arm and delivered a powerful counter attack by way of uppercut to Jett's face. The young man was lifted off his feet and thrown back a few feet before crashing down. T was given no reprieve however as Crimson rushed to fill Jett's place.

Crimson had opted to use the dual blade function of his weapon as he rushed in. Flipping twice crimson struck out with three kicks, two on the first flip and one on the second. T blocked the first two as the third hit him in the chest. Crimson tried to follow up with a third flip but as he jumped T grabbed him. Crimson was spun around twice before T slammed the young man into the ground.

Seeing both Crimson and Jett go down Orpheus ran towards T firing three to five arrows at a time. He knew his supply was limited but had taken precautions while the others fought. T deflected the shots with ease as the damage was mitigated by his bracer and greaves. When he was within striking distance Orpheus began to use his bow as a makeshift staff.

T punched and kicked at the young instrument wielding trainee but his attacks were parried and blocked leaving only glancing blows against Orpheus. T gathered his aura about him and shrunk the sphere of influence his semblance used. With renewed energy he began to speed up his attacks. Orpheus struggled to keep up and was struck multiple times across the face and torso from T's strikes, before being tossed to the ground by a particularly nasty flying double kick.

T looked around and noticed that only Roane was standing. The young man had been darting in and out of the sphere of influence as he took pot-shots at T but now he stood resolute against the man. The two squared off against one another as Roane softly began to pray.

"Solunia, goddess of the sun and moon, hear your servant's plea. Grant my soul the power to defeat my foe. Give my eyes sight beyond sight and wash away the darkness. Illuminate my path so that my strike is fierce and true. Allow my focus to be pure and unclouded so that my team may pass this trial set before us. Grant me strength and clarity Solunia so that I may be victorious."

As the prayer ended T and Roane charged one another. Roane had opted out of using his bow as he met T for hand-to-hand combat. Striking low T quickly took charge of the battle with a right kick to Roane's shin and followed up with a straight right kick to the torso. Rolling over the young man's back T kicked Roane from behind sending him crashing face first to the ground.

Roane recovered swiftly by rolling with the fall and was immediately on the offensive. Smashing both his left and right hands against the side of T's head Roane followed the assault with a rough shoulder check to the older man's chest. T stumbled back slightly which gave Roane the opening he needed to continue his attack.

Slamming his right elbow into T's chest Roane flowed from one strike to the next with a left cross, then small right uppercut, and a right hook to finish. Roane never missed a beat as he tried to keep the pressure on T. This would prove futile however as the older fighter quickly recovered and countered with a fierce combination of blows.

Flipping forwards T slammed one foot after the other onto Roane with power crescent axe-heel kicks. Roane slammed face first onto the ground and bounced once. Lifting his foot T prepared to stomp Roane but was interrupted by the arrival of Crimson.

The silver-white haired young man had taken a beating but fought with a renewed focus as if he had caught his second wind. Striking low than high with a body blow followed by an uppercut Crimson made sure he was moving at top speed as he followed up his initial strikes with a leaping double-kick that sent T sliding backwards.

As he struggled to regain his footing T realized that Jett had joined the fray and was running to meet him. Blocking Crimson's next strike T grabbed hold of the teenage boy and swung him around once before throwing him into Jett. Rather than get hit however Jett held out his hands and spun around. T was surprised as he sensed Crimson's body float around in a circle around Jett and get thrown back at him.

 _So Jett's semblance is telekinesis?_ T thought as he blocked the sword strike Crimson delivered upon return. Suddenly a powerful kick was delivered to T's lower abdomen lifting the man off the ground slightly. Roane had recovered from his previous beating and snuck back into the fray. Crimson stood on Roane's back and followed suit with another kick to T's chest lifting the man further into the air. Running up the two bodies Jett came in and continued the combo with two more kicks. Each one however was enhanced with an unseen Force as T felt them connect and sending him flying even higher into the sky.

"Ok everyone, time to bring it in for the finale!" Orpheus cried out from below.

With his semblance activated T was able to 'see' that he had been kicked several feet off the ground. _Damn it, I let them put me into a precarious situation._ He swore to himself knowing that he would be hard pressed to dodge their attacks while helpless in mid-air.

"Archer's Anarchy!" Orpheus yelled before snapping the fingers in his left hand.

Suddenly dozens of arrows fired from the ground. Orpheus had placed specially customized dust arrows on the ground earlier while Crimson and Jett fought T. From what he had learned regarding Crimson's retelling of the first fight, Orpheus had deduced that T had a limited viewing radius and that by placing traps outside his range they could use the blind spots to their advantage. The arrows exploded in midair and sent T bouncing around from side to side as he blocked the damage as best as he could.

"Solunia's Saggitam!" Roane exclaimed next as his entire body began to glow.

Roane had made the conscious choice not to use his bow for the past few minutes of combat since the arrows were formed from his own aura. The young bowman had been building up his power internally over the past few moments as he fought with Professor T in melee combat. Pulling out his bow Roane formed a massive golden-red arrow before taking aim at T's airborne form and firing. The attack flew straight and hit its mark dead center in the back. Exploding the arrow sent the instructor sprawling towards the ground.

"Reaper's Devastation!" Crimson shouted as his weapon began changing forms from its massive blade into something new.

The golden disk in the center of the blades base rotated and caused the blade split into multiple sections as it began to curve. The handle telescoped downwards doubling in length and curving slightly near the base. As the weapons transformation finished into its final form, a viscous looking scythe, Crimson struck out at T with three devastating strikes.

The first strike cut across T's chest from the top of the right collarbone and curving slightly all the way down to the waist. The next strike was diagonal from the right shoulder to the edge of the right pectoral muscle. The third strike followed the second from the tip of the pectoral muscle going from left to right diagonally downwards forming a sideways V-shape.

Spinning the scythe deftly behind his body Crimson spun and caught the instructor on the blade before twirling around and launching T with enhanced force towards Jett. The ebony-haired young man smiled and changed his weapons into their chakram form.

"Alright wind, don't fail me now." Jett whispered softly as he activated his semblance to it's fullest.

"Gusts of Wind Dance!" Jett cried out at the top of his voice as he threw the chakram disks at Professor T.

The projectiles struck T with an enhanced force behind them as they continually spun and cut into his body. T could feel his aura falling rapidly from the combination of strikes and the continual hits from Jett's attack. T felt his body suddenly trapped and enveloped by a whirlwind as he struggled to break free.

"Nice work guys, it's time for the knockout combinations!" Orpheus cried out excitedly.

"Ready when you are boss!" Jett exclaimed.

"Roane, lets hit him with the 'Archers Delight'." Orpheus instructed as he shot an arrow towards Roane.

Roane smirked, a rare gesture for the young man as caught the arrow and he notched it in one swift motion before firing it. Orpheus was quick to follow suit as he fired off his own matching arrow. The twin shots combined with the whirlwind caused by Jett's previous attack turning it into a maelstrom of crackling lightning and torrential waters.

Caught in the storm of elemental effects, T was battered around for a few seconds before being violently launched to the ground. Crashing onto his back, the experienced huntsman quickly righted himself to his feet and tried to regain his balance.

"Ready Crimson?" Jett asked as his chakram came back to him and he changed them to the twin blade form.

"Just try and keep up!" Crimson answered while changing his weapon back to its default form.

"Quintessential blades!" both Crimson and Jett exclaimed as they ran in.

T had gained his footing however and blocked both of Crimson's airborne kicks as well as the crashing blade swing that followed. Jett however had come in low and struck out at T's exposed abdomen. Slicing out in a wide arc Jett's blades struck T and actually managed to cut his skin.

Now realizing exactly how low his aura had dropped T adopted a more defensive stance. Crimson who had been in midair for moments stood on Jett's back after his teammate had rushed in for his strike. The two young men were breathing heavily from exhaustion but knew they had to finish the fight here and now.

Leaping forwards Crimson began a flowing combination of strikes. His momentum carried him forward and easily allowed him to keep pressure on T who was now on the defensive. Crimson struck high at the head and torso while T used his arms and bracers to deflect, parry, and block the blows. As the two of them fought however Jett rushed in and began attacking low at T's abdomen and legs.

The two twin-swordsman moved with precision and timing that T would not have expected. Crimson with his longer blades was a step or two behind Jett who wove in and out of his teammates momentum-based strikes to deliver his own sword combinations. T Blocked their attacks with increasing difficulty. The sound of the blades striking against his greaves and bracers was slowly joined by a soft musical tone.

T was confused as the sweet melody graced their combat. He had shrunk his sphere of influence so that it only revolved around himself and the final two combatants. Although his semblance would not allow him to use his sense-sight for anyone outside its range, T knew that Orpheus had opted to use his lyre but was confused as to why. From what he was hearing the song sounded as if it had been playing for a while since its tempo was moving as quick as the combat.

 _The lyre is helping them keep pace. Their precision and timing is based off the music. It has nothing to do with their own ability but Orpheus's skill with his instrument. All I have to do is interrupt the music and their flow will crumble._ T realized as he began his gamble and charged energy into his fists. With an explosive surge of his remaining aura T expanded his sphere of influence's field out until he could sense Orpheus.

Jumping past Crimson and Jett the old huntsman pulled back his left fist before firing off a powerful shot of concussive force. The attack flew straight towards Orpheus who continued to play his lyre. At the last moment however Roane leapt in the way and took the full brunt of the attack.

 _Classic Roane, always there to save the day at the last moment._ T thought to himself as the young man was sent flying several feet away. Roane landed hard on the ground but this time showed no signs of standing up. With Roane out the way T launched his second attack from his right fist. This time Orpehus tried to dodge but was struck and thrown off to the side. With their link broken, both Crimson and Jett stumbled awkwardly and collapsed to the ground.

 _So the lyre did more than just coordinate their attack. It also gave them a boost to their stamina. It's a good thing I took out Orpheus then._ The old instructor thought as all members of Team ORCJ lay defeated on the ground. Seconds later three dings of a bell rang out through the area.

 **TRIAL CONCLUDED**

 **TRIAL CONCLUDED**

 **TEAM ORCJ SUCCESS**

The loud speaker boomed. T was surprised at the announcement. He knew there was roughly twenty-five minutes left for the trial. The fact that the men and women overseers had granted Team ORCJ a success though is what confused him the most. Reaching behind him T realized the three seals were gone.

The air was filled with sound as Jett began laughing. He was soon followed by Crimson whom was uncharacteristically chuckling. Orpheus and Roane's own sounds of merriment filled the air seconds later as the team began celebrating from their fallen positions on the ground.

"We fucking did it!" Jett exclaimed, with a slightly hoarse tone.

"I suppose you guys did well, for meat shields that is." Crimson commented although everyone could hear the joking tone of his voice.

"It must be the end of the world if Crimson is cracking a joke." Roane stated with a giant grin on his face.

Orpheus could only smile and laugh as he held up one of the seals. _Eurydice, I did it. I made friends. I got them to trust me and together we persevered. Are you watching me Eurydice, can you see me grow?_ Orpheus thought silently to himself as small tears of happiness began to flow from his eyes.

T smiled behind his scarf as crossed his arms as the young men continued to cheer with one another. He could hear the medics coming from a distance. As he played the battle over in his mind T realized that the seals had been taken only a few moments after he realized the secret behind the team's coordination.

 _Jett used his telekinesis to take them from me. He then gave one to Roane and one to Orpheus while he and Crimson shared the last one._ T concluded. _They found a way to work together and ensure everyone passed the trial. Smart boys, there may be hope for them after all._ The instructor mused as the medics arrived and began to attend to the members of Team ORCJ.

The teenagers were loaded up onto gurneys and quickly wheeled towards one of the bio-domes exits while T made his way to the observation deck. Upon arrival T immediately felt the presence of just one person. "General Castaway." T greeted with a mocking two finger salute.

"Tenebrous Tauron." A man's voice replied.

"I don't go by that name anymore." T shot back angrily.

"I don't see why not. You were- scratch that, are a distinguished huntsman. With your skill and abilities, you could have easily destroyed those students." The general commented.

Tenebrous laughed softly. "Destruction was never my objective. I'm an instructor, not a weapon. My job is to teach them." Tenebrous stated calmly.

"Sanctimonious fool." General Castaway spat at Tenebrous as he stood up from his chair.

"Of all the members of Team ORCJ, only Crimson Carmine and Jett Volos are worth anything." The General spoke as he looked out the observation window, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Orpheus Argento is too timid and not fit to be a leader. Roane Grant on the other hand is too much of a pacifist. I don't see him ever being ready to be able to make the hard choices." The man continued as he ran one of his hand across the left side of his face.

Castaway was old and it showed in the wrinkles on his skin. He had been a military man for most of his adult life and it showed in the way he carried himself as well as the mannerism of his speech.

"Crimson Carmine, has the breeding and training to back up his skills. He would be an excellent Black Ops soldier. He knows how to follow orders and sticks to the mission, disregarding any _distractions_." Castaway spoke of his observations regarding the team.

Tenebrous began to radiate anger at the old man. "I'm surprised you think Jett is worth anything, considering his personality." He spoke, calming himself down through speech.

General Castaway barked out a gruff laugh. "Yes, he is a little insubordinate bastard but that is something that can easily be squashed out. It's his combat ability which makes him even worth mentioning. He is able to adapt to different combat scenarios with ease and that Tenebrous is a rare skill indeed."

Tenebrous clenched his fist slightly at the General's words. Walking over to the older man, Tenebrous face him squarely.

"You're wrong General. All the young men of Team ORCJ are worth training. Jett and Crimson may bring better combat mechanics to the table but it was only with Orpheus's strategy and Roane's support that they were able to pass the trial." He explained.

Castaway laughed once more and faced the blindfolded man. "Tenebrous, we both know that had you really been trying those young men would've been dead in seconds, nay milliseconds." He said with a dark tone.

"Like I said before, I'm an instructor not a weapon." Tenebrous spoke with an even tone.

The two men continued to face off with one another for a few seconds longer before the door one of the doors to the room opened up. A young woman wearing a white lab coat walked in holding a clipboard and looked at the two men before heading towards Castaway.

"General, you have been summoned to oversee another trial." She informed the old man.

Castaway nodded and began walking out of the room.

"I enjoy these talks Tenebrous, they allow me greater insight into that brilliant mind of yours." Castaway spoke as he exited the room.

Tenebrous continued to stand in the room alone. Suddenly his tattoo began to glow brightly. With a roar of anger Tenebrous kicked out at the observatory window. The entire front of the room ripped apart and was sent flying downwards onto the field below as Tenebrous tried to control his breathing.

"Damn it all to hell." He swore and turned around to exit the room.

 _Valethornia Academy – Second Floor Infirmary_

The four members of Team ORCJ lay in their beds with smiles gracing their faces. They had passed the second trial and were now truly official students of the academy. Jett was at the end of their row of beds and rolled onto his side to look at his teammates.

"Can you guys believe it, we actually passed!" He nearly shouted from excitement.

Jett's injuries from the first trial had been aggravated further during the second. His entire torso had been wrapped in a flexible cast to help his ribs. The wound on his leg had stretched open more and had to be stitched closed. He had minor scrapes and bruises along his arms and face that were patched up but his biggest issue was the depletion of his aura. He had been given a special supplement to help restore his levels from their critical state to normal.

"Obviously we passed, you guys did have me on your team." Crimson stated calmly. His scarf had been removed and lay folded on the table next to him.

Crimson's injuries were similar to Jett's but not quite as extreme. The two of his ribs had been fractured slightly but were already healing. Aside from a minor concussion and a few scrapes, he had gotten off fairly well. Since he hadn't had to spend aura using his semblance Crimson was able to heal better than Jett and take a lot more abuse with worry.

Roane laughed from the next bed over and looked at Crimson with a broad smile. "I'll admit, that you were integral to the plan but it was Orpheus and his semblance that really got us through the whole thing.

Out of all four young men, Roane had gotten by with the least amount of injuries. His aura levels had been a bit low, but nowhere near Jett's or Orpheus's levels. He had a few cuts and bruise on his body from being tossed around but compared to Jett and Crimson he was fine.

Orpheus was in the bed at the opposite end of Jett. The young man was currently sleeping peacefully while his team joked around him. Orpheus had been linked with the others for a majority of the fight. He had taking damage on a physical and mental level as well as providing aura to Jett and Crimson to keep them fighting. Out of everyone he was the most drained. He had fallen unconscious mere moments after being placed in the infirmary bed and none of his teammates thought to disturb his slumber.

"Things will only get harder from here on out you guys." Roane mentioned as he lay on his back and gazed at the ceiling.

"Yea, I know that but we can handle whatever comes our way." Jett said with an assuring tone.

"As long as you guys keep up with me, I'm sure we'll be fine." Crimson mused with a soft hidden smile gracing his face.

The three young men each thought back to the trial and what they had learned about themselves and each other.

 _I'll grow stronger and protect them all._

 _I'll learn to trust them and guard them from danger._

 _I'll make sure that we all make it through, together._

* * *

A/N: Well then, that was a stretch and a half to write. There are some Easter Eggs and hidden references to some anime, manga, and video games. Kudos to anyone who can find them. leave a review, put the story on your alert list, and/or favorite it. any feedback is good feedback so let me hear your thoughts regarding team orcj or the story in general.


	12. Chapter XI

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XI: Team MTAL – Day One Part One

A/N: So I kind of goofed up on the previous chapter upload. The site counts it as Chapter Eleven of my story which there already was one because I deleted the template which served as chapter one. Anyone who reviewed the original chapter wouldn't be able to review that one because of how the site is set up. So if you would like to share your thoughts you can review the new chapter one which is the story's prologue or just send me a pm regarding your thoughts on it.

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy – Room 169C_

Sunlight crashed down through the windows as the day began. Malyganya Oregenera felt warmth pressing against her. It was an unusual warmth, not that unlike a body. Opening her eyes, she saw Layla Yuki's peaceful sleeping face in front of her. The newly elected team leader sighed as her face adopted a deadpanned expression.

Lifting her leg up to her chest, Malyganya quickly kicked out at Layla. The loud thud of Layla's body was only matched by the swearing shouted by Taz Argent. The young man had shot up from his bed and was quickly, albeit sleepily looking around for danger. Amber Isolon also awoke from her bed but kept herself covered up as she snuck a glance around the room.

Layla looked up at Malyganya who was standing full height in her night gown and glaring down at the female.

"What were you doing in my bed Layla?" Malyganya questioned with a hint of danger in her voice.

Layla smiled and stood up before dusting herself off. The young woman had little modesty it seems. She was only dressed in her panties and a shirt that was several times too small for her body. It barely covered her torso and exposed most of her stomach.

"Oh Maly, don't be that way. I was cold and figured you could warm me up." Layla responded.

"Cold? Isn't it the beginning of summer though?" Taz asked as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. He had worn a plain silver tank top with matching jersey shorts to sleep.

Layla sent the faunus teen an exasperated look and shook her head. Taz smiled meekly and shrugged as it dawned on him exactly what Layla had been implying.

"Excuse me, b-b-but are y-you t-t-two da-da-dat-dating?" Amber's soft-spoken and meek voice asked from beneath her covers.

"We are not dating." Malyganya answered quickly with a small blush appearing on her cheeks.

Layla's face feigned hurt as she threw herself across Malyganya's bed.

"No Maly, say it isn't so!" she exclaimed with an overly-dramatic flair.

"You've left me for another woman?!" Layla cried out with an uneven shriek in her voice.

Malyganya just looked down at her friend and shook her head. Stepping down from the bed the young woman turned to face her teammates. Amber had chosen to retreat fully into her covers while Taz was looking between Malyganya and Layla.

"Wait, don't tell me that it was actually a man you left me for!" Layla continued, this time throwing herself at Malyganya's feet and grabbing ahold of her leg.

"After that beautiful and magical night we spent together in the forest, do you mean to tell me all I was to you was a one-night stand?" Layla questioned as she began to mock cry. The smile on her face did little to dissuade anyone from believing her.

Or it should have at least. Taz eyes widened as thoughts of the two beautiful young teenage woman engaging in sexual activities suddenly began to play through his mind. Rushing up to Malyganya, Taz looked his leader in the eye scanning for truth behind Layla's statement.

"You're not denying something happened in the woods!" he gleefully stated.

"You guys did something during the first trial!" Taz's voice rose with excitement.

"You guys had a total sexy time treatment and did it!" the young man cried out as blood began to rush from his nose. At this Amber stood up from her bed and cried out.

"Nooooooooooo. That's not right. Girls can't like girls. GIRLS CAN'T LIKE GIRLS!" she cried, literally crying as tears rushed out her eyes like a waterfall.

Malyganya looked at each of her teammates with embarrassment and confusion as she tried to gather her thoughts.

Taz turned to Layla and lifted the teenage girl from the ground roughly.

"Details woman, give me details!" he demanded.

Layla laughed and turned away in mock embarrassment.

"Oh my, you're so forceful. A real lady doesn't kiss and tell." She stated in a coy playful tone.

"You've already started, don't leave me hanging." Taz pleaded dragging Layla over to his bed.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Amber kept repeating as she covered her ears and shook her head furiously.

"Ok, so we had just gotten out of the rain so our bodies were soaking wet." Layla began.

"Maly, took the initiative and removed my clothes first before feeling my body up." The young woman continued her tale. Taz held on with rapt attention.

"After I was undress Maly followed suit. The slow tender care she had removing every article of clothing was electric and tantalizing. With both of us down to nothing but our birthday suits Malyganya took me by the hand and brought me over to our makeshift bed of animal skins. She laid me down, not knowing I was delicate and slowly began to-"

" **Layla**!" Malyganya cried out fiercely.

Layla, Taz, and Amber all looked to their leader. The young huntress was radiating a dark violet-black aura from her body causing her hair to rise and float.

"You can only take a joke so far before it becomes a nuisance." Malyganya stated in a dark tone, her eyes which were normally a soft hazel color were now entirely pitch black. Layla's smile lessened slightly as she raised her hands and laughed nervously.

"Ok, ok Maly, I get it." Layla said.

The aura surrounding Malyganya died down as the young woman relaxed. Her eyes changed back to normal and everyone looked at her with slight caution, excluding Layla.

"If you tell people the story that way, then there is bound to be misinterpretation of our relationship." Malyganya stated as she turned to her dresser and began taking out clothes.

"Ok so there isn't any misinterpretation, why don't you tell us what happened?" Taz asked walking over to his bureau. Layla sighed and stood up as well making her way to the closet that she had taken dibs on the night before.

"Well I won't discount the fact that the both of us were wet from the rain or that I had asked Layla to remove her clothes. However, that's where the story mostly falls into fiction. The reason I was 'feeling her body up' was because I was applying bandages to her." Malyganya began, filling in blanks that Layla had left out.

"I did get undressed afterwards so as not to catch a cold from the wet clothes. There was no fur bed at all and it was Layla who joined me under our cover. We did _sleep_ together but we have not _slept_ with one another." The team leader clarified after getting her outfit for the day out and laying it neatly across her bed.

Taz looked at Malyganya with disappointment on his face. Sighing he turned to Layla who was merely smiling.

"Sorry, Malyganya but I think your story is the false one. There's no way you two didn't total hook up with one another." Taz stated with a broad grin. Layla matched his grin and sent Taz a thumbs-up which he returned.

"Sounds to me like _someone_ doesn't want to remember their first time." Taz continued as he folded his uniform on his bed and proceeded to grab his towel from the wall next to his bed. He put everything into a neat pile and grabbed his dress shoes before lifting the small package of clothes

Layla looked at the uniform that had been provided to them and twisted her face in disgust.

"They can't honestly be expecting me to wear this, can they?" she asked rhetorically as she threw the skirt and stockings back into the closet.

"Taz, I'm gonna borrow one of your outfits." She told her teammate before going over to his bureau and grabbing some clothes.

"That's fine by me, imma hit the showers first so you three can go after me." He told them before leaving the room.

Walking down the hall Taz looked for the shower room. As he walked through the maze-like hallway Taz thought back to Layla and Malyganya. They had been lucky to been paired up after spending the first trial together. While Taz wouldn't openly admit it, he did miss having his friends around including Crimson.

Locating the room marked "Shower" Taz walked inside and began to get undress. There were baskets to place clothes in near the entrance before actually reaching the showers. The bathing area itself was a big open area with multiple shower heads coming from the walls and from pillars around the room.

Taz went to one of the showers near the middle. He turned the knob for hot water all the way open and the knob for cold water only part way. The water didn't take long to become comfortable hot as Taz let it cascade over his body.

"You know these showers are co-ed right?" Taz heard Layla's voice suddenly speak from his left. The girl in question stood a few feet away fully nude. Taz received a full frontal experience as Layla showcased all of her assets. Layla and Taz were roughly a foot apart in terms of height so when she walked over to face him, Taz was surprised that she stood facing him eye to eye.

Taz would be remiss to say that Layla wasn't attractive. Her skin was fair with only a few small scars across her arms legs and torso. The soft peach-mahogany hue of her skin was alluring to Taz and it was coupled by her bright azure blue eyes. His eyes roamed her naked form as water from the shower began to strike Layla.

Her breasts were full and round, smaller than he had imagined but roughly average for a girl her age. Layla grabbed some soap and began to clean herself thoroughly. The motion of her body as she went to work mesmerized the young male faunus.

"You're blushing Taz, what's the matter never seen a naked girl before?" Layla asked nonchalantly. Taz was surprised at her openness and apparent trust in him. Shaking himself from his stupor Taz began to wash his body as well.

"It's not that. I'm just curious as to what kind of girl you are." Taz replied hoping to gain some insight to the curious young woman.

"What kind of girl I am?" Layla laughed, a soft melodic ringing.

"I'm the me kind of girl." She answered.

Taz looked at the onyx-haired woman and tilted his head in confusion.

"What does that even mean?" he asked her.

Layla turned to face Taz, once more giving him a full frontal view of her nakedness. This time around he noticed that her womanhood was clean shaven. Layla's finger pointing up directed his gaze back to her face. She was far from embarrassed however as she just wanted him to pay attention to what she had to say.

"I'm my own person Taz. I was raised military by my father and so I was under the belief that I had to be a certain way. As I grew up though I realized that I could be what I want. I follow my own path and do what I like. I won't let the norms of society dictate my life." Layla explained although her usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced with a slightly emotionless aura.

"You won't let society dictate your life? What are you doing here then?" he asked his teammate.

Layla shrugged in response.

"I'm still trying to figure that out. For now, my goal is to stand by Malyganya." Layla followed up her previous silent response with an explanation.

"Malyganya, why her?" Taz asked shutting off the shower.

Layla looked at Taz with a dead expression. Taz was confused at the change in the young woman. Earlier she had been vibrant and full of energy.

"I'll give you the short answer since it isn't my place to give you the long one." Layla began as she and Taz went over to an open bath and slid into the water.

"I like her. She has this certain magnetic aura about her that I'm drawn to." Layla elaborated. "I never knew what I wanted to do with my life before the academy and to be honest I wasn't even trying to get in here. During my elementary and combat school days my actual academic scores were horrible."

Taz listened to Layla as she told him more about herself.

"I came here on a whim and was accepted by chance. If I hadn't met Malyganya in the forest though during that first trial, then I probably would have just left and began wandering again." Layla's story continued.

"How did the two of you meet?" Taz asked Layla.

Layla's smile came back at that point, the familiar one Taz had been introduced to when they first met.

Layla looked over at Taz and closed her eyes.

"It all began during that first afternoon of the survival trial."

 _Iselia Forest – Four days ago_

 _Layla punched a hole through the stomach of an ursa minor as a beowolf leapt at her from the side. Kicking out Layla caught the beast and was able to throw it off to the side with little effort. The young woman's face was bored. The Grimm were weak and no match for her. The entire survival trial was a joke._

 _A few minor creepers came running out from the shadows and tried to take the young woman down. Spinning around Layla grabbed one of the creepers by its upper and lower jaws. "Seriously, why do you even exist?" she asked before pulling the creature apart violently._

 _The rest of the creepers actually paused at Layla's ferocity. She didn't let up however and proceeded to violently shred the remaining Grimm with ease. Looking around the dissipating bodies Layla sighed and began walking through the forest. She had no direction and just used the easiest path presented to her at any given time._

 _Coming to a clearing Layla noticed a small hill-like lump of land protruding from the ground. Smiling softly, she walked over to the mound and lay down looking up at the sky. Clouds passed by overhead as time ticked by. For Layla this was true paradise. She could cloud gaze in peace as the harmonious ways of nature passed around her._

 _The cracking of twigs caused Layla to turn her gaze away from the clouds. Six different individuals entered the clearing in a circle around her. "I'm not looking for friends, but if you want to cause trouble I would suggest you turn away." Layla mentioned with a bored tone._

" _Did you hear that James; she doesn't want to be our friend." A high-pitched voice spoke._

" _I heard her Mick, but that's fine by me. We don't need a friend right now do we boys?" the young man named James asked the other members of his group._

" _Oh god, how cliché can you get. A group of guys find a girl in the woods and their first thoughts are to rape, torture, and/or murder her. Fucking pathetic." Layla mentioned as she stood up._

 _The gang of young men all carried various weapons but to Layla it was all the same. Layla didn't give them time to finish surrounding her however as she rushed forward. Base off positioning and where the voices had come from she determined the man with the naginata was James. Layla was ruthless as she began pummeling the young man._

 _The speed and power behind her blows quickly took James out after only fourteen hits. At this the other members of the gang began attacking Layla as well. Two of them wielded guns and began firing them at her back. The rounds were heavy and Layla felt each one as her aura protected her to some degree._

 _The remaining three all used melee weapons of some sort and approached from the sides. Turning around Layla blocked all three attacks using both her arms and one of her legs. The bored expression on her face never changed as she began to deal out punishment to the thugs. First she kicked away the melee fighters and charged the gunners._

 _They kept unloading their weapons onto her but Layla ignored the attacks and grabbed one of them by his face. Continuing her charger Layla smashed her victim into the ground and began to drag him across the forest floor. As she came to the edge of the clearing Layla lifted the unfortunate soul spun once and launched him into the forest beyond._

 _A sharp pain erupted in her head suddenly causing Layla to crumple to the ground. One of the gang members had fired a powerful electric weapon at Layla's back which was currently delivering thousands of paralyzing jolts into her body. The remaining four members walked over to Layla's collapsed and twitching form._

" _Not so tough now with all that electricity coursing through your veins." The high-pitched voice gang member, Mitch taunted before kicking Layla violently in the face._

 _Layla's bored expression didn't change much as she continued to look at her attackers. The young men started kicking her defenseless form but aside from a few grunts of pain Layla gave them nothing._

 _Mitch eventually stopped and glared at Layla._

" _You know what, I think it's time we give this bitch exactly what she deserves." He told the others as he sheathed his daggers._

 _Layla could feel the effects of the paralyzing electricity begin to wear off as Mick began to undo his pants. Before the young man could continue any further however, he thrown to the ground by an invisible force. Looking around the clearing for the source, mick drew his daggers out once more._

" _Don't fuck with me!" he exclaimed getting to his fee and fixing his pants._

" _Fuck with you? Were you not just trying to **fuck** with that young woman?" a female voice asked from the shadows. Slowly a figure appeared from the woods surrounding the clearing._

 _She was young, or at least she had a young-looking face. She was short, standing no higher than four-foot seven or so. Layla saw her savior had golden-tan colored skin and hair that was dark brown, almost black. Her long hair came down to her waist. It was currently styled loose with a headband holding back some of her bangs._

 _The stranger stood with confidence as she crossed her arms and stared down the thugs. There was a purple-hued aura radiating from her body and Layla couldn't understand why this person was interfering. Layla struggled to move and was able to get on her stomach before one of her captors stood on her back._

" _Two for the price of one, this must be our lucky day." Mitch stated, licking his daggers._

 _The stranger just stood silently watching them. Layla had a better view of the young woman now and saw that she was stunningly attractive. Heat rose to Layla's face as she felt her heartbeat increase rapidly. The stranger before her dressed in an outfit that to Layla seemed both casual and functional._

 _Her top was a silver V-neck shirt underneath a black vest that was only partially buttoned up exposing ample amounts of cleavage from her breasts. She wore black fingerless gloves on each hand with metal studs in the knuckles. Across her chest from right shoulder to left hip was a single strap bandolier that also attached to her belt. On the back of the bandolier a large scabbard was attached housing double-bladed broadsword that was only about a half -foot shorter than its bearer._

 _She wore a black A-line denim miniskirt that came down to just above her knees. The skirt was slightly loose fitting so as not to restrict the girl's movements. Her footwear consisted of black combat sneakers with a silver-colored metal trim going around the base._

" _Now if you want to save your friend here, then throw away your weapon." Mitch commanded pointing at Layla with one of his daggers._

" _I refuse." The young woman stated simply never uncrossing her arms._

 _Shock and awe graced the features of Mitch and his friends._

" _The fuck you mean you refuse?" one of the other vagabonds asked._

" _You realize we have a hostage right?" Mitch questioned angrily._

" _Having a hostage and knowing the hostage's worth are two separate things." The stranger responded as her aura grew._

" _We will kill her if you don't disarm yourself!" Mitch threatened._

" _Go ahead then." The young woman challenged grinning slightly._

 _Layla's eyes widened in surprise. This person wasn't here to save her. She had just come across something happening in the woods and decided to stick around to see it play out. Clenching her teeth Layla glared at the stranger mostly angry with herself though for the fleeting feelings that had been stirred within herself._

" _Fuck this, kill them both!" Mitch ordered._

 _Before anyone could anything however the stranger lifted her hands and summoned torrents of fire from midair. Mitch and the remaining members of his group were thrown off to the side as the flames crashed into their bodies._

" _She has a pyrokinetic semblance, Lancelot deal with her!" Mitch ordered as he ran over to Layla and prepared to finish her off._

 _The man named Lancelot raised his hand and formed a blade of water over his hand. Charging the stranger he prepared to cut her in two but suddenly cried out in agony as bolts of electricity rushed from the stranger's body and struck his blade. The extra conductivity of the water enhanced the attack against him and caused Lancelot to collapse to the ground, dead._

" _What the fuck. It's impossible to have more than one semblance!" Mitch exclaimed seeing Lancelot fall._

 _The stranger's confident smile widened as she lifted her hands from her chest and pointed them at Mitch's two remaining friends. The two young men cried out in panic as they were lifted from the ground sent higher and higher into the air._

" _Since you're most likely about to die, I'll let you know the true nature of my semblance." The stranger spoke, her voice soft and crystal clear._

 _With a motion of her hands clenching, the teenage female sent the two targets hurtling into the ground. The impact was so great that it bypassed their auras and caused the two thugs to explode on impact. Blood, guts, bones, and organs splattered everywhere._

" _My semblance, is neither electrokineses or pyrokineses. It isn't telekinesis or telepathy. **MY** Semblance is Psychokinesis." The stranger explained as her hazel-colored eyes turned entirely black._

 _"It's every psychic ability crammed into one!" she exclaimed sending a shock-wave from her body.  
_

" _I rarely use this technique because the after effects but for you I'll make an exception." She stated raising her hand. An orb of silver-white and black-purple formed from her palm as she charged her attack._

 _Mitch stared at the young woman in front of him with fear full on his face. He was rooted in place, knowing full well he was about to die. Suddenly six claw-like blades erupted from his chest. Mitch coughed up blood and looked down at the protruding metal exiting his cavity._

" _You wanted to penetrate me right, it's only right I am allowed to do the same to you." Layla whispered into Mitch's ear softly before violently slicing outwards. Mitch dropped dead to the ground leaving Layla with her savior. The two young woman stared each other down._

 _The young woman lowered her hand as her aura slowly began to disappear. Layla followed suit and sheathed her claws back into her gauntlets._

" _So, now what do we do?" Layla asked._

 _The stranger walked up to Layla causing the young woman to tense slightly._

" _Hello, my name is Malyganya Oregenera." the huntress introduced, extending her hand._

 _Layla looked down at Malyganya's extended hand and clasped it before shaking._

" _Hello Malyganya, I'm Layla Yuki."_

 _Valethornia Academy – Shower Room - present day_

As Layla finished her story, Taz noticed that she had a soft twinkle in her eye.

"That was intense, although there's something I don't understand." Taz mentioned as he gathered his thoughts about him. Layla looked at him with slightly curious eyes.

"The way explained yourself in the story and the way I've seen you act here and now. You don't seem to like people very much. You seem withdrawn and even told those guys in the forest you weren't looking for friends." Taz began.

"But when we were in the room just now and last night, I saw you joking around and actually expressing yourself. What's up with that?" Taz asked Layla with a raised eyebrow.

Layla pulled her knees to her face in a very uncharacteristic display of embarrassment as a small blush graced her cheeks.

"I didn't do it for you or for Amber. I did it for her, for Maly." Layla answered honestly.

"Wait, so you really like her? Like, _like her_ kind like her?" he asked surprised. Layla looked at him with a small smile before splashing Taz with water.

"Not to use child terminology, but yes I do. Like I said she has this aura about her that I'm drawn too." Layla affirmed.

"After what we went through together in the forest I decided I wanted to be by her side. Truth be told I don't see the point of putting some of us in big teams but I know enough about the world to know why they are beneficial." Layla spoke as she rose out the water.

"So, it's all an act then?" Taz asked as he thought over Layla's words.

Layla glared at Taz before turning sharply away.

"No, for Malyganya I will be genuine with my feelings. I don't know if she views me the same way but it doesn't matter because I've already decided on my path. The fact that you and amber will also see my feelings is just a byproduct of that." The young huntress in training explained to her teammate.

Taz followed Layla out of the bath and the two began to dry themselves off. The silence between them wasn't entirely uncomfortable as they got dressed. They had brought their uniforms with them and dressed with their backs facing one another. During the time they had been bathing others had come into the shower room.

The area was loud as boys rough housed with one another but for Taz and Layla, the background noise was nothing more than that. The two teammates finished dressing about the same time with Layla wrapping her jacket around her waist. They looked at one another before leaving the shower room together.

"Layla." Taz spoke as they walked back to their team's room.

"Taz." Layla replied with her hands behind her head.

"I hope you come to see Amber and me in the same light as Malyganya. I don't think you're as withdrawn as you make yourself out to be." The faunus teen conversed.

Layla looked at Taz and smiled slightly.

"You and Amber will never reach the same status of Malyganya, but maybe just being friends will be enough." Layla commented giving her teammate a sideways glance. Taz saw the glance and smirked. Throwing an arm over the female's shoulder Taz smirk turned into a grin.

"You know what, I think I'll be just fine with us being friends." He spoke as they continued on their way.

* * *

A/N: Ok, so after re-reading some of my work I realized that I wasn't doing as good a job as I thought regarding the templates for some of the characters so instead of retconning everything I'm just going to do a few chapters of plot and exposition to move the story along. Any who, it's Team MTALs turn for wacky team building exercises and trials, stay tuned.


	13. Chapter XII

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XII: Team MTAL – Day One Part Two

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy – Room 169C_

"Sorry, Malyganya but I think your story is the false one. There's no way you two didn't total hook up with one another." Taz stated with a broad grin. Layla matched his grin and sent Taz a thumbs-up which he returned.

"Sounds to me like _someone_ doesn't want to remember their first time." Taz continued as he folded his uniform on his bed and proceeded to grab his towel from the wall next to his bed. He put everything into a neat pile and grabbed his dress shoes before lifting the small package of clothes

Layla looked at the uniform that had been provided to them and twisted her face in disgust.

"They can't honestly be expecting me to wear this, can they?" she asked rhetorically as she threw the skirt and stockings back into the closet.

"Taz, I'm gonna borrow one of your outfits." She told her teammate before going over to his bureau and grabbing the necessary clothes.

"That's fine by me, imma hit the showers first so you three can go after me." He told them before leaving the room.

The three female teenagers watched their singular male teammate leave as they continued to prepare for the day ahead. Amber had finally come from beneath her covers after Taz left and was in the process of taking out her uniform. The petite young woman was shorter than both Malyganya and Layla by almost six inches. She had short dirty blonde colored hair with long bangs that nearly covered her shoal-grey eyes.

Physically underwhelming Amber was thin, lacking in both muscle mass and healthy body fat. If not for the small supple mounds on her chest, Amber could very well be mistaken for a boy. She was dressed in a pink, frilly, teddy bear decorated onesie which left little to the imagination considering her frame.

Looking around at her two teammates Amber noticed that Layla hadn't been joking when she said she refused to wear the female uniform. After the wild young woman had assembled the clothing she needed for the boy's version from Taz's space, she left out the door without a word to Malyganya or Amber. This left Amber alone with her team leader, Malyganya Oregenera.

Amber had heard of the Oregenera family before. There were entire sections about them in history books as well as books devoted to various exploits of the family's most renown hunters and huntresses. In Amber's eyes, Malyganya was a celebrity.

The young woman in question however did not act like one. Amber had noticed that Malyganya's personality tended to shift from aloof and bored to light-hearted and kind almost on a whim. She was open to a certain degree and Amber could feel that on some level Malyganya cared for the team as a whole. To downplay this however she also felt that Malyganya kept everyone at a distance, excluding Layla but that could be because the two of them survived the first trial together.

"Amber hurry and get your stuff, we'll use one of the showers on the opposite end." Malyganya suddenly instructed, interrupting Amber's thoughts.

The timid young female nodded furiously in response and gathered her clothes and towel. The two teammates left the room together and began walking towards one of the various shower rooms on their floor. It would be more clear to say that Malyganya lead the way with Amber trailing behind.

Like Layla, modest wasn't at the forefront of Malyganya's mind, or so Amber noticed since her leader had decided to walk down the halls in nothing but a towel. Amber however was still dressed in her onesie. She looked at Malyganya's back and was surprised to see the beginning of two scars near her right and left shoulders that looked like they crossed at some point.

"Miss Malyganya" Amber spoke softly.

"Malyganya, will do fine. We're the same age so the 'miss' is unnecessary." Her hazel-eyed leader quickly interjected.

"Oh, um I-I'm sor-sorry." Amber fumbled her words and stuttered.

She heard Malyganya sigh loudly before turning to face her.

"Amber, what are you even doing here?" Malyganya asked looking the shy young woman directly in the eye.

Amber turned her face away but Malyganya grabbed her by the chin and forced their eyes to meet.

"What are you so afraid of?" Malyganya questioned, this time the look in her eyes showed mixed emotions of disappointment, anger, and oddly enough concern.

"I-I-I'm not sc-scar-scared" Amber managed to squeak out.

Malyganya laughed and let go of Amber's face.

"You could have fooled me." She said offhandedly and continued down the hall.

The duo soon reached a room marked "Shower" and entered the room. Inside the first thing amber noticed were the boys. Her face turned beet red as heat and blood rose to the surface.

"Miss Malyganya, this is the boy's shower!" Amber shrieked as she closed her eyes.

"No Amber, take a look." Amber heard her more mature teammate state before slowly opening her eyes.

With a second look into the area Amber was able to see the girls in the shower area as well. It didn't look like the boys or girls were having an issue showering together either.

"This is what's known as a co-ed shower." Malyganya explained as she pulled Amber after her.

The two young woman went to the far end of the basket area and put their clothes into the appropriate receptacles. Malyganya had to wait while Amber got undressed which caused the timid young female to feel sorry for her leader. _Malyganya must be hating me now. All I'm doing is holding her back._ Amber thought to herself as she followed Malyganya to the showering area.

She could fully see the scar on Malyganya's back now. Although upon closer inspection she noticed it wasn't a scar so much as it was a tattoo. The X-shaped mark was part of a larger piece. In between each of the lines of the X were various symbols and markings.

The top portion contained the Valethornian symbols for "Family" "Privilege" "Honor" and "Light" as well as a design of what could only be the moon. The bottom portion had the symbols were "Self" "Denouement" "Shame" and "Darkness" with a sun as the design that encompassed the symbols.

The symbols that made up the right and left portions of the tattoo were in a language Amber couldn't read. The designs that encompassed the symbols were easier for her to recognize however. On the left was a shield while the right design was a double-edged sword.

Amber and Malyganya stepped into separate currents of water and began to clean themselves. Amber noticed that some of the boys showering kept stealing glances at Malyganya. She wasn't surprised at this though. Even Amber could tell that Malyganya was attractive.

Malyganya's golden-tan skin was exotic and glistened under the water and light. She had a perfect balance of muscle and fat supporting her body which gave her bust, waist, butt, and hips, perfect curvatures. Her dark brown hair, almost black was silky smooth and had no split ends. Amber watched in awe as Malyganya cleaned herself.

"Amber come here, I'm going to wash your back." Malyganya suddenly told her causing amber to blush brightly.

"That's ok, I can do it myself!" Amber quickly spoke out. Malyganya laughed and turned Amber around before gently rubbing body wash and soap on the young girl's skin.

"How is it you can only speak clearly when you're embarrassed?" Malyganya asked with a soft smile.

Amber turned her head to the side and was silent as Malyganya cleaned her body. She was embarrassed to be treated like a child, but secretly she enjoyed it. Amber had grown up with a doting older sister. Having Malyganya who, although was the same age but, was more mature than her wash her back reminded Amber of her sister.

"Ma-Maly-Malyganya, you as-ask-asked me earlier what I was doing here." Amber began to speak. Malyganya continued washing Amber's back but gave a small sound of acknowledgment.

"I wa-wan-want to be stronger, and less ti-timid." Amber continued.

"Why, to impress someone?" Malyganya asked with a hint of disappointment.

"I want to better myself. I know I can be better." Amber corrected.

"So, you're doing this to be a better you?" Malyganya inquired as she put Amber in the shower's path to get rinsed off.

Amber nodded furiously as the water struck her.

"Growing up I was always weak and sickly. My older sister took care of me." Amber informed Malyganya as the two of them made their way from the showers to the bath.

"I didn't want to be a burden to my family so I decided to become a huntress." Malyganya listened to amber tell her tale with interest.

"My sister didn't want to be a huntress, but she did support my decision to be one. She encouraged me to keep at it whenever I felt like giving up." Amber told her leader as memories of her youth came to her mind.

"You had support to get you through the tough times, I'm jealous." Malyganya spoke, smiling softly. Amber looked over at the auburn-haired beauty with confusion.

"Jealous, of me? You're an Oregenera. How could you be jealous of me?" Amber asked.

Malyganya sighed and laid back against the bath wall.

"Oregenera this. Oregenera that. People assume that because I'm an Oregenera that I'm instantly something special. Here's a little known fact however, both my parents are dead." Malyganya stated with a hint of anger. Amber covered her mouth and felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know." Amber apologized.

Malyganya shrugged. "Like I said, it's a little known fact." She stated slightly dismissively.

Amber looked Malyganya and couldn't help but frown. _I guess that's why she keeps her distance with us. She doesn't want to feel the pain of loss in case we die._ Amber thought, coming to a realization about Malyganya.

Amber didn't know why she did what she did next but her body moved on its own. One moment she was sitting down and the next she was hugging Malyganya warmly. Malyganya looked down at Amber in surprise and slowly hugged her back.

"I think I can see why Layla is so attached to you." Amber mused softly. Malyganya chuckled softly.

"If you're attached to me the same way Layla is we might have trouble." Malyganya joked.

Amber looked at her leader with a quizzical expression. Malyganya ruffled Amber's hair while smiling down at her.

"Let's just say Layla's feelings for me go beyond friendly." Malyganya tried to innocently explain. Amber's eyes widened as she caught the meaning behind the young woman's words.

"B-b-bu-but you're bo-both g-g-ga-girls!" Amber exclaimed burying her face in Malyganya's chest. The irony of her actions caused a bigger smile to grace Malyganya's face as she stifled laughter.

"Love has no boundaries Amber." Malyganya explained as she began stroking the embarrassed youth's hair softly.

"Do you like her?" Amber asked, her voice muffled by Malyganya's breasts.

"I honestly don't know. I haven't known her long enough to figure it out. I trust her and I know she's reliable but that's about it." Amber's leader replied, explaining herself.

The two young woman stayed in their ironically awkward embrace for a few minutes more until Amber let Malyganya go and stood up from the bath. Malyganya looked at Amber with inquisitive eyes but realized quickly that her teammate was merely getting out the bath to finish getting ready for the day. She followed the shorter female and together they made their way back to their baskets where their clothes were.

"I'm glad you're the team leader Malyganya." Amber suddenly said breaking the silence as they dressed.

"Oh really, why is that?" the mature young woman asked.

"You're reliable. I think all of us can trust you and you'll look out for us in return." Amber explained as she pulled up her stockings. Malyganya laughed, soft and bell-like in response.

"I'll can only try to do my best Amber." She told her teammate, smiling softly. Amber noticed the hairband in Malyganya's hair was white today, matching the academy's uniform.

"We should head back to the room so you can put your stuff away and then head to breakfast." Malyganya said offhandedly as she folded her towel up and placed her toiletries on top. Amber smiled softly and nodded before gathering her own items. Together the two females made their way from the showers to their room in only a few minutes.

Amber was surprised to see Layla and Taz had made it back before them considering that they had been at one of the far end showers. Her two teammates were dressed similarly, since they were both in the boy's uniform. Taz's outfit was slightly loose with the top few buttons of his shirt undone and the jacket completely unbuttoned. Layla was wearing the jacket around her waist and had the top four buttons of her shirt undone.

"So, how was Amber's first experience in a co-ed bath?" Layla asked with a devious smirk on her face.

Amber blushed deeply and ran over to her bed to deposit her pajamas and towel. Malyganya gave Layla a look and shook her head.

"I-I-I-I was f-f-fi-fine." Amber blurted out excitedly causing everyone in the room to look at her in surprise.

Taz and Layla both smiled broadly and placed themselves on either side of Amber.

"Aw look, she's all grown up and taking a stand." Taz teased.

"She got a look at boys and thinks she's hot stuff." Layla joined in joking.

The two jokesters practically dragged Amber out the room between them as they teased her and joked about the co-ed baths. Malyganya followed her team out into the hallway. As they made their way towards the cafeteria Malyganya thought about the three teenagers under her command.

They had introduced themselves to one another the night before and given a brief summary of their experience during the first trial. Taz Argent had been with three others for most of the seventy-two hours which made his trial easy. He fought with bladed tonfa and could manipulate electrical energy as his semblance.

Amber, in her own words had been protected by another female. This girl wielded twin short spears like Amber and had stayed by her side for the entire trial. When asked where the girl was, Amber said that during the extraction she had lost track of the female and hadn't seen her since then. Amber didn't know what her semblance was, but was currently trying to figure it out.

 _My team is consistent of melee fighters with limited firearm support. Layla's gauntlets use shotguns and Taz's weapons double as pistols. Both types of firearms have severely limited range when compared to my rifle. Amber says her spears can transform into pistols as well but that doesn't change our long-range game much. I'll have to figure a way around this glaring weakness._ The team leader thought to herself.

Team MTAL entered the cafeteria and saw it bustling with activity. Scanning the crowd for familiar faces Taz saw Crimson Carmine sitting with a group of other boys, who he could only guess were Crimson's teammates.

"Over there, that guys dressed as a ninja." He told Layla pointing towards Crimson's table.

"What about him?" Layla asked.

"That's Crimson Carmine, one of the guys I was teamed up with during the first trial." Taz explained.

"He lo-lo-looks strong an-and da-dan-dange-dangerous." Amber squeaked from behind Malyganya.

"Get your breakfast and meet over at that table. We'll introduce ourselves to them and get our own impression of Mister Carmine." Malyganya instructed her team. Everyone nodded and dispersed to get their food except for amber who clung to Malyganya like a child to their sibling.

Team MTAL all made their way towards the table at different speeds with Layla arriving first.

"What's up bitches?!" Layla cried out, setting the tone for the first interactions between her team and Crimson's. Malyganya sighed internally and shook her head.

"Taz Argent." The young man named Crimson stated as he looked directly at Taz.

Taz smiled and sat down across from Crimson. Next to him sat Layla. On the opposite side of the table Malyganya set her tray down and proceeded to sit next to Crimson. Amber looked around nervously but saw one of the strange young men smile at her and decided to sit across from him.

"So who are you guys?" Layla asked before taking a bite of bacon with eggs and looking from Crimson to the rest of his team.

"It's very rude you know, to ask someone's name without first giving your own." One of the boys replied before eating a strawberry.

He was dressed neatly in the academy uniform and had an air of superiority about him, from Layla's perspective. She immediately disliked him. Outwardly however she just smiled and continued to eat.

"Well Taz already told us about Crimson Carmine here." She stated pointing at Crimson.

"My name is Malyganya Oregenera. I'm the leader of Team MTAL." Malyganya quickly introduced. She could feel a slight tension building between Layla and the young man. The silvery-white haired teen in question locked gazes with Malyganya and she could feel him caught in her gaze. He was quiet for a moment before extending his hand.

"I'm Orpheus, Orpheus Argento." He informed her as they shook hands.

"I lead Team ORCJ." Orpheus stated before pointing to his team.

"You don't look like much of a leader to me." Layla voiced in a bored tone as she bit into some buttered toast.

Taz and one of the members Team ORCJ both chuckled slightly at her statement. Orpheus blushed slightly from embarrassment and sent his teammate a venomous glare.

"You may call me Roane Grant." The young man at the end sitting across from Amber introduced himself as he extended his hand to the young woman.

Amber blushed and grabbed Roane's hand before shaking it. "A-A-Amber Isolon, it's a pleasure to meet you." She said in a soft tone.

"Name's Layla Yuki, don't forget it!" Layla exclaimed proudly pointing to herself with her thumb.

Jett matched Layla's enthusiasm and reach out his arm which she clasped earnestly. "Nice to meet you Layla. Call me Jett." He told her with a roguish grin.

As introductions were made between the two teams the slight tension between Taz and Crimson could be felt in the air. The two young men hadn't broken each other's gaze since their teams had met. Taz cocky smile and Crimson's dark glare were permanent expressions shown by both.

"You know, if you two have a problem with one another maybe it would be best for the two of you to just solve it and move on." Malyganya observed looking between the two males. She had observed the subtle movements between the two teenage boys. She could tell just from the smallest details that Crimson was a better fighter than Taz.

She also knew the best way to gauge his strength would be to see him fight in action. _Sorry Taz, but sometimes a sacrifice is necessary._ Malyganya thought to herself hoping that either Taz or Crimson would make a move.

Before anything could happen though, all the scrolls for the members of Team OCRJ began beeping. The young men took out their devices and began reading the message that had been sent to them. Crimson smirked and readjusted his scarf around his face.

"You were saved by the bell this time Argent. Count your blessings and be ready for next time." The young hunter stated as he grabbed his dishes and proceeded to leave the table.

Malyganya bit her thumb in disappointment. The opportunity had been snatched away from her in the last moment. Still there would be other times to see Crimson's skill for herself.

Taz's smile never faded as he watched Crimson walk away. Pushing the small setback aside, Malyganya looked at her teammates with intrigue noticing how each of them interacted with the members of Team ORCJ as the all-male team left. Orpheus was the last to go as both Jett and Roane ran to catch up to Crimson.

"Hey Malyganya, I want to apologize for Crimson's behavior." Orpheus told her nervously. Malyganya turned and gave Orpheus a quizzical glance.

"Orpheus, you're the team leader. You have to start acting like it otherwise you'll just end up getting someone killed." She told him in a tone that seemed neither positive or negative before turning back to her breakfast.

She saw Orpheus's shoulders slump from the corner of her eye before he began to walk away. Team MTAL continued eating their breakfast and finished a few minutes later. Leaving the cafeteria together the team began wandering the halls of the academy looking for something to do.

"You know they could have at least given us a class or something to go to." Taz mentioned as they group wandered aimlessly.

"It'd be pointless to send us to class without first having passed the second trial." Malyganya mentioned with a bored tone. Her team had explored most of the areas available to them and were now heading towards the gymnasium.

"Yea, but they gave us a room." Layla piped in before poking Amber's cheeks.

Amber shrieked from the sudden contact and hid on the other side of Malyganya.

"We also have a team name." Taz added.

"Yea but both the name and room aren't official in the school's database as being registered. We have to pass the trial in order to be truly accepted." Their team leader mentioned as they all arrived at the gym. Looking inside they saw other teams exercising on various on equipment.

"Any idea what our trial will be?" Amber asked.

"We'll find out when we need to." Malyganya answered.

Not a second after she answered did their scrolls begin to ring. Taz and Layla both grinned to one another before slapping a high five. Malyganya read the message on her scroll quickly before collapsing the device and putting it back into her pocket.

"Alright everyone lets go." She told her team.

"Oh yea, time to crush this shit!" Taz exclaimed slamming his left fist into his right palm.

"I just want to kick ass and chew bubblegum, but I'm all out of bubblegum." Layla mentioned with a crooked grin.

"I'll do my best for everyone." Amber piped in as she followed the group towards their testing destination.

* * *

A/N: Whew, this chapter was physically draining to write. There was so much more I wanted to add but had to refrain from doing so as not to ruin some characters. Anyway you know the deal, alert list, favorite, and/or review to tell me your thoughts.


	14. Chapter XIII

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XIII: Team MTAL - Second Trial Part One

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy – First year locker room_

Taz took his black and silver aviator jacket from his locker. Team MTAL had been assigned to bio-dome number three for their second trial. The young faunus was only slightly disappointed that his locker was on the opposite side of his teammates. _Why must the gods torment me? I could totally be getting eyefuls of hot teenage lesbian action right now, or at least seeing the girls in their underwear._ He thought to himself before pulling out his bladed tonfas.

Taz checked the weapons for any signs of damage. The examination didn't take long. Taz was satisfied that the weapons wouldn't need any maintenance, major or minor in the near future. He placed the weapons into their holders across his back waist and closed the locker before heading towards the area where his teammates were at.

Turning the corner Taz saw that the girls were just finishing up getting dressed. Malyganya was lacing up her sneakers while Layla adjusted her gloves. Taz gave Amber a once over and let out a long whistle. It was his second time seeing her in her combat suit but he was still impressed.

Amber's outfit was built for combat and totally didn't fit her personality. She wore a dark brown leotard with green stripes running along the sides diagonally. Over the leotard, covering Amber's upper torso and shoulders was a half-breastplate made of light flexible material that exposed her midriff section. Surprisingly enough, it was extremely durable.

It protected the vital organs in Amber's chest. Her neck and shoulder area was also sufficiently protected by the armor which matched her leotard's dark brown. On her arms Amber wore armored bracers and elbow guards made from the same armor as her breastplate.

Her lower-wear consisted of a skirt that went from her waist to her knees. The skirt itself was slightly plain, matching the colors of her leotard with the green stripes and dark brown lining up with one another. Woven into the skirt were pieces of armor. It provided a moderate amount of protection to the girl's thighs and hips.

Completing the entire ensemble were knee high sandals with shin guards. Taz could tell from the outfit that Amber preferred speed and precision. The young woman carried her twin short spears on her back in X-shaped holders. To keep her bangs from covering her eyes amber held back her hair with a small headband. With her forehead exposed part of the jeweled circlet Amber secretly wore beneath her hair was clear to see.

"So, you girls ready for this or should I wait for you to do makeup?" Taz asked the young women jokingly.

Layla smirked at Taz before flipping him the middle finger. The young woman had already strapped up her gauntlets and was watching Malyganya strap on the bandolier and scabbard for her weapon.

"Stow it you two. We have no time for jokes." Malyganya said with an authoritative tone.

"Yes mam, Commander Oregenera mam!" Taz exclaimed with a mock salute.

Malyganya did not take kindly to this and grabbed the young man by the front of his shirt. Malyganya locked eyes with Taz before activating her semblance, changing her eyes pitch black, and glaring at the young man.

"Taz, I'm all for jokes when it is appropriate, but right now is not the time for it. I made you second in command because I believe you know this. Don't make me regret that decision." The young leader stated before pushing past Taz and motioning for Layla and Amber to follow.

Amber hurried after Malyganya but offered Taz a soft smile as she passed him. Layla followed and gave Taz a playful smirk before clapping his shoulder. The teenage faunus returned the smirk and followed after his team. _I'll show you I'm not all jokes._ Taz thought as he and his team walked the halls.

The members of Team MTAL saw other first year teams walking about. The ones in full combat gear were heading to their own secondary trials. There were others however who were still in uniform.

"I guess they're splitting up the times for each team." Layla observed as they passed some other first-years still in uniform.

"That seems to be the case. Since each team gets a different trial and they are still holding regular classes for the second and third-year students. They would have to split up how much time is allotted for each team to do their trial as well as which spaces can be used." Malyganya agreed as the team turned the hallway towards their assigned bio-dome.

Entering the dome Malyganya and the others were surprised to see that the dome was bare. No configuration had been set. Even more surprising was the fact that another team was inside the dome. Malyganya didn't recognize any of the people standing in the dome. She didn't let her surprise halt her progress either. Leading the way Malyganya and her team began walking towards the other team.

"Hello there, I'm Jack." The young man whom Malyganya guessed was the leader greeted as they approached.

"Hello Jack, I'm Malyganya." The dark-haired beauty returned the greeting, holding out her hand.

The two leaders shook hands and made introductions.

Jack was the leader of Team JSMN. His team consisted of two girls and two boys including himself. Malyganya took note of each member. There was Simon, a short slim and entirely underwhelming young man. He carried a large tome under his left arm and a wooden staff topped off with a green jewel. Simon was dressed in a long black robe with matching cowl covering his head.

 _Long range dust caster. If our trial is to face off against this team, then Simon will have to be taken down first._ Malyganya took note of the way Simon carried himself and was already devising strategies to take him down.

Next to Simon stood Mini. Her name was obviously giving to her ironically. The female was giant, standing at least six and a half feet tall. To match her height was her extreme muscular structure. From what Malyganya could see Mini's weapon, scratch that, **weapons** of choice consisted of a bow with a large quiver of arrows, a large spear, a throwing axe, a single-edge longsword, throwing knives, knuckle dusters, and a spiked buckler. She was clad in black and blue armor with a flowing blue cape. She had silver hair tied in a ponytail, and covered by a brown, orange and white bandana.

 _Jack-of-all trades weapon master. I have no doubt that her proficiency with those weapons are well above average. She must be confidant in her skills to carry them all at once. I'll have to take her on solo._ Malyganya gave a mental not of priority to Mini as she assigned Simon to Taz.

The final member of Team JSMN was Jack's twin sister Nina. Despite being fraternal twins Jack and Nina looked eerily identical. Both had long dark red hair with slightly pointed ears. Their faces were slightly angular and pointed. The only real way to tell them apart was by their heterochromia eyes. Jacks left eye was green with the right being blue while Nina's right eye was green and her left being blue.

The twins were dressed in identical gender-neutral clothing. They both wore a sleeves white combat gi. Black belts were tied around their waists. For weapons Jack had a pair of bladed knuckles while Nina wore bladed greaves.

 _Strictly melee fighters. Although given their nature they'll fight together. Amber and Layla should be able to take them._ Malyganya made her observation of the twins and was mostly unimpressed. Compared to their teammates Jack and Nina didn't look like much.

 **TEAM MTAL VS TEAM JSMN**

The loud speakers suddenly boomed within the bio-dome causing the members of each team to instantly hold themselves differently. Jack's friendly expression was instantly replaced with a warrior's battle glare. Simon quickly retreated to the back of the team and opened his tome. Nina joined her brother's side and got into her fighting stance. Mini pulled out her sword and axe and hunkered down off to the side slightly.

 **OBJECTIVE: CAPTURE THE FLAG**

A sudden rumbling sound was heard as the ground began to shift.

"Scatter!" Jack cried out.

Trees suddenly erupted from the ground and began to grow at a rapid rate. Foliage and rocks also appeared as the bio-dome's center area transformed into a dense forest.

"Layla, stay with Amber!" Malyganya commanded as she and her team became separated by the terraforming location.

Layla grabbed Amber from around the waist and lifted the child-like teenager off the ground. Holding Amber bridal style, Layla jumped out of the way of a falling branch. The rapid growth of plants had caused some to crash into one another which forced each team to avoid debris.

Landing on the ground Layla looked around for immediate danger before placing Amber on the ground. The two teammates looked around the area hoping to find some sign of either Taz or Malyganya.

"Nooooooooooo!" Amber suddenly shrieked.

Layla turned around and saw mechanical tentacle arms had wrapped themselves around Amber's wrists and ankles. Before Layla could react however, the arms lifted Amber away into the dense foliage above.

"LAAAAYLAAAAA!" Amber's voice cried out fading into the air.

 **SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: RESCUE THE HOSTAGE**

The loud speaker boomed once more but its sound was muffled by the forest. Layla shook her head and punched the trunk of a nearby tree. Suddenly her scroll began ringing. Taking the device out Layla saw a message from the administration.

She opened the message and saw her team's base location as well as the location of Malyganya and Taz. The team was given a frequency to use for the duration of the trial. Closing the message Layla quickly turned to her team's frequency.

"Layla! Taz! Amber! Do any of you read me?!" Malyganya's voice called out through the scrolls speakers.

"Maly, it's Layla. I'm tuned in." Layla confirmed as she began heading in the direction of the team's base.

"Good, so it's safe to say you aren't the hostage." Malyganya's voice spoke. Layla could hear the sounds of her leader running through the forest through the speakers.

"Is Amber with you?" Layla's leader asked giving the young woman pause.

"Sorry Maly, she was taken from me." Layla apologized.

She heard Malyganya swear through the scroll and winced. Layla felt bad that she had failed, but worse because she failed Malyganya.

"Maly, let me do the rescue, I can get her back." Layla offered as she began running once more.

"No, make it to the base. I'll discuss strategy with you and Taz once we all meet up." Malyganya ordered. Layla bit her lip to stop herself from protesting.

"Taz here, you ladies online?" Taz's voice spoke suddenly.

"Taz, It's Malyganya. Amber's the hostage from our team. We're rendezvousing at the base." Malyganya quickly explained.

"I'm already here. When I go the message, I was nearby so I wanted to secure the area before contacting anyone." Taz replied.

"Good job Taz, excellent forethought." Malyganya complimented. Layla felt a slight pang of jealously but quickly pushed it off to the side. Right now her emotions weren't going to help anyone. Closing her eyes Layla allowed all outside distractions to fall away.

 _The only things I need to concern myself with are the mission and following orders. I'll deal with everything else afterwards._ Layla thought to herself as she felt her body slip into its familiar groove of motion. The young woman had noticed that since meeting Malyganya and spending time with the young woman that she herself was changing.

The change was slow and gradual but at times her emotions flared up and for Layla that was unusual. The only way she knew to deal with this change was to literal flip her emotions off, by using her semblance. By manipulating the way her five sense handled information in her brain Layla was able to deceive herself into believing she was emotionless.

This newfound ability was still experimental however as she noticed when she used it with Taz she was still able to feel some emotions. She was trying to perfect it so that all her focus would be on what's important to her.

 _ **But my feelings for Malyganya are important**_.

 _They aren't constructive to our current predicament._

 _ **I don't want to not be able to feel them.**_

 _Feelings get in the way of logic._

 _ **That may be true, but I've never felt this way before.**_

 _Feel this way when the mission is over. Remember the pain of loss you felt from your mother's death and sense of abandonment from your father. Lock your feelings away._

 _ **You're right. I don't need to feel right now. I just need to finish the mission.**_

Layla's internal struggle with herself lasted a few seconds before her emotions were shut off. Making her way through the trees of the artificial forest, the young huntress made it to the base within minutes. Malyganya and Taz were waiting outside the base, which was basically a rundown shack. Their flag was in the middle shack which was one room.

"So what's the plan?" Layla asked as the team entered the room.

"The message we were sent had a two-and-a-half-hour timer meaning that we are on the clock. Not enough time for recon which means we'll have to go in with limited intel." Taz stated pulling out his scroll.

"First thing that we know for certain is that Amber is the hostage. Our first priority should be rescuing her." Taz continued.

"Why do you think that?" Layla asked with a bored tone.

"Aside from the fact that she's our teammate? If we get her then we'll increase our fighting strength back to full and make it easier to complete our primary objective." Taz explained noticing Layla's change in demeanor.

"Unfortunately we don't know who was taken from Team JSMN." Malyganya mused.

"I had come up with strategies regarding straight forward fighting scenario." The dark-haired female continued explaining to her team.

"Our preferred match-ups would be Taz against Simon, Layla and Amber against Jack and Nina, while I would take on Mini." Layla listened to Malyganya strategize.

"You would team me up with our weakest link?" Layla asked with a dull monotone.

Malyganya looked to Layla and sighed.

"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Yes, I would have placed you with Amber because I trust you. You're more than capable of holding your own while outnumbered but also she might learn something from you."

Layla locked eyes with Malyganya. Her leader's expression was a mix of disappointment and frustration. Layla merely shook her head.

"So how will we go about doing this?" Layla asked Taz.

"Well we can't leave the base unguarded. I suggest that Malyganya stay's behind while you and I look for Amber." Taz put forth his opinion.

Malyganya nodded slowly as she thought over the proposal.

"I'm the only one with a long-arm so if I do have to go against Jack or Nina then I'll have the advantage."

Layla clenched her jaw slightly in frustration. The strategy made sense but something inside her didn't like it. Clapping her hands Malyganya walked over towards the shack door and looked outside.

"Ok, Taz you and Layla find Amber. Once she's recovered make your way back here." Malyganya ordered.

Taz nodded and proceeded outside with Layla following behind.

Malyganya stopped Layla from leaving however. Taz looked at the two girls with a worried and confused expression.

"Go ahead Taz, I just need a moment with her." Malyganya stated.

Taz nodded once more and ran off into the forest leaving the two females alone.

"Layla, I don't know what's eating you but get your shit together." Malyganya stated roughly.

Layla stared at Malyganya and sighed.

"Sure thing boss. Can I go now?" Layla asked but pushed Malyganya's arm out her way before chasing after Taz.

Malyganya sighed and looked around the area surrounding the base. _Alright, we've got about two hours left. I'll prepare a few surprises for the enemy and wait for the others to come back._ Malyganya thought to herself as she started looking for suitable materials.

* * *

A/N: I'm thinking this might be three parts like ORCJs but it could be pushed to four depending on how things go. For those who need help with the pronunciation of Team JSMN, its read as Jasmine.


	15. Chapter XIV

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XIV: Team MTAL – Second Trial Part Two

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy - Bio-Dome Three_

Taz and Layla made their way through the forest side by side at a quickened pace. The two teammates were silent excluding their breathing as they ran. Taz looked over at Layla and noticed that she had adopted the same neutral bored expression from earlier this morning. _Guess she really does only want to show emotion to Malyganya, although it was odd that she was like this at the base as well._ He thought to himself as the duo jumped over a fallen log.

"Don't you think this trial is a bit to unconventional?" Layla asked, suddenly breaking the silence.

"What do you mean?" Taz questioned in response.

"Well, I know it's supposed to challenge use in terms of how to properly manage team strength and objective priority but we hunt grimm. Why would something like this need to be learned?" Layla elaborated her question.

Taz thought about Layla's inquiry for a bit before answering.

"This may be a school for training huntsman and huntresses but don't forget that the kingdom does have its own military. Perhaps this is basic training just in case some of us choose that path." He offered as an answer.

Layla suddenly came to a stop and looked around before leaping back. Seconds later four arrows planted themselves in the spot she had been standing just seconds before. Taz saw the arrows drop and rolled into a nearby bush for cover. Layla continued standing in the open with the blades of her gauntlet extended.

"If you're gonna try something then do it. We don't have time to fuck around." Layla called out.

Her taunt was replied with another volley of arrows which she deflected with her weapons.

"Arrows are useless against-" Layla began but was interrupted by a swift kick to her chest.

Layla was sent flying backwards into a tree as Jack materialized in front of her. The young man's leg was still extended from the powerful kick he had delivered. He slowly lowered it to the ground before facing off against Layla. Sliding to the ground Layla landed awkwardly but stood and faced Jack. Her expression was dull and emotionless as she prepared to fight the young man.

From the bushes Taz saw the two fighters square off and began to sneak away. _I'll have to find the giantess woman with the bow and stop her from sniping._ The faunus huntsman-in-training thought as he sniffed the air. Catching Mini's scent Taz began to prowl towards her location.

Jack and Layla rushed one another and began fighting. Layla's style was strict, militant but reckless as she punched and kicked with unusual intensity. Jack ducked one of Layla's wild swings and countered with two short uppercuts to her stomach. He followed the attack with a sweep kick which knocked Layla flat on her back.

Mounting the shaken young woman, Jack began pounding at Layla's face and chest. Layla guarded herself as best she could as she waited for an opening. Jack clasped both his hands together and prepared to smash them down on Layla. This mistake would cost him the advantage he had gained.

Layla changed her left gauntlet into its shotgun form. By flipping the blades backwards and exposing the holes they came out of, which doubled as barrels, she was able to fire three times at point-blank range directly into Jack's chest. To say Jack was blown back would be an understatement.

Jack was sent rocketing backwards as he crashed through not one or two trees, but was blown clean through three of them. Layla stood up and saw the holes that Jack's body had made. Walking past the trees to the area where he lay, Layla saw that Jack was down and out.

"Pathetic and boring." Layla stated before turning away sharply.

A high pitched whistling caused her to pause however and she turned her head to see that Jack's body had expanded and was glowing bright yellowish-red.

"OH SH-" Layla began to swear before being enveloped in an explosion.

From the top of a nearby tree Jack and Simon looked down at the destruction.

"Nice job Simon." Jack congratulated his partner.

"Her fighting style was too simplistic. It was easy to lure her into a trap. Even more fortunate her teammate left to try and get Mini." Simon mentioned as he adjusted his glasses by pushing them up at the bridge with his index and middle fingers.

When the explosion dissipated the two young men jumped down and began inspecting the area. They could see no sign of their quarry within the decimated woods. Jack gave Simon a thumbs up which was returned by a nod from the bespectacled young man.

"SHIN-SHOURYUU KEN!" Layla's voice suddenly cried out.

Looking around wildly for the source Jack failed to notice the ground shifting beneath him. Swiftly and suddenly Layla erupted from the ground and delivered a punishing uppercut to Jacks stomach causing him to double over. This attack was followed by another uppercut. At the second attack Jack vomited. Layla finished off with one more full uppercut leaping high into the air as she fired off a round from her shotgun directly into Jack's face.

Jack back-flipped three times before smacking into the ground and bouncing a few feet away. Simon wasted no time counter-attacking as he flipped open his tome and began manipulating the dust-written incantations within. Layla was struck with a multitude of blows as icicles, lightning bolts, and fireballs hit her from all sides. She blocked her body as best as she could but was still thrown to the ground roughly from the impact of the attacks.

Looking over at Layla's unmoving form Simon continued to watch her for a few seconds before running over to Jack and inspecting his leader for injuries. Jack was definitely hurt badly. Layla's shotgun blast had taken what little aura Jack had left from using his clone semblance and depleted it to near zero. Pulling out his scroll Simon tuned into his team's frequency.

"Mini, Jack is down but we got one of theirs." Simon spoke into the device.

"Damn, I really though your trap would take them out. Who'd we get?" Mini asked with a voice that low and deep.

"One of their fighters, Layla Yuki. She was with the faunus boy and he seems to be tracking you so be careful." Simon replied.

"Roger that, I've always fancied a fur coat." Mini stated, with a sick chuckle following her statement.

"You might want to avoid killing our classmate, it could invalidate the team from completing the trial." Simon cautioned as he tended to Jack. The physical injuries were easy to patch up but what the young huntsman really needed was rest.

"Yea, yea I know." Mini's voice said through her scroll.

"I'm heading back to base with Jack. After that I'll come find you and we'll look for Nina together." Simon informed his teammate.

"What about the faunus?" Mini asked.

"I have faith in your ability to handle him. From what I saw he's a melee fighter like Layla so just handle him like you would her, minus the skinning." Simon instructed.

"Roger that Simon, Mini out." Simon heard the disconnect sound as Mini went silent and sighed.

Simon took one look back and saw Layla was still down. Reaching around Jack Simon did his best to lift the teenager up. With his staff for support Simon was finally able to get Jack on his feet and slowly began dragging the unconscious man through the forest. He had been walking for a few minutes when he heard the snapping of twigs behind him.

Turning slowly Simon was met with a powerful fist to the left side of his face. Both he and Jack fell to the ground as Layla began kicking at his body.

"Weak, weak, weak." Layla kept repeating with each kick.

Simon knew he was weak and had no chance in a physical altercation but that was fine since he had used dust of the earth element to reinforce his body's natural defenses. Opening his palm Simon summoned fire dust from his book and sent it directly into Layla's face before igniting the dust and causing it to explode.

Layla grabbed her face and began coughing as she inhaled smoke. Temporarily stunned and blinded, the young woman quickly backed up until she hit a solid surface. Confident that she couldn't be hit from behind Layla adopted a neutral guard stance and braced herself for Simon's counter.

Simon clutched his chest where Layla had struck him multiple times. Even with his enhanced defenses the young woman's blows had been felt.

"Playing dead, it was a good strategy." Simon commented as he rolled Jack's body out of the way.

Layla turned to face his direction and kept her guard up.

"You'll be blinded for a while. My dust is the premium quality stuff." Simon explained as he flipped through his tome for a better technique.

"That's ok, but let's see how you fight when you can't see either." Layla shot back.

Simon looked up at Layla with a quizzical expression before suddenly his sight was gone. Grabbing his face Simon cried out in panic and fell to his knees.

"What did you do to me?!" he cried out holding his hands in front of him.

Layla chuckled dryly and sat on the ground.

"I just hit you with my semblance. Basically I can control one of your sense at a time and right now I've taken control of your sight." She explained in a dead tone.

Calming down Simon crossed his legs and sat with his staff lain down at his side and his tome on his lap.

"Then it seems we've come to something of a stalemate. However, your semblance requires that you use your own aura to keep it activated while my attack just has to wear off. Seems you've been hit two-fold." Simon observed.

"That may be true but once your blinding attack wears off I'll still be able to attack you without you being able to see me." Layla countered.

"Let's see how that strategy plays out for you then." Simon stated as the two warriors fell silent and began to wait.

 _Bio-Dome Forest Elsewhere_

Taz continued to skulk through the undergrowth of the forest as he tracked Mini's scent. He had been tracking her for close to twenty minutes now and from what he could tell she hadn't caught wind of him. _Alright at this pace I should be on her in a few more minutes._ Taz thought to himself as he continued through the forest.

A few meters away Mini smirked to herself as she continued to lead Taz further and further into the forest. After learning from Simon that she was being tracked the young huntress had prepared a trap for her pursuer. Having carefully covered her tracks so he wouldn't know that she had already been through this area Mini's smirk turned into a twisted smile. Soon she came to the point of no return and that's when she sped up slightly to give the young man the sense of urgency that she had caught on to him.

Taz noticed that the multi-weapon user he had been tracking suddenly began to speed up and swore internally. She must have heard him snap a twig or something. Breaking out into a full sprint Taz hurried to catch up. His chase didn't last long however. In two minutes he had jumped out of the trees into a clearing where Mini stood on a rock waiting with a notched arrow.

"I thought you faunus were supposed to be good at tracking." Mini taunted before firing her arrow.

Taz jumped to the side to avoid the shot and was struck with a log that came flying from the forest. The heavy and sturdy piece of oak crashed into Taz and sent him sprawling to the ground.

"This entire area is a kill zone, fool." Mini taunted some more as she shot more arrows at Taz. The shots struck Taz along his side but were stopped from piercing him by his protective aura.

Standing to his feet Taz struggled to right himself after the shock of the being thrown. _Ok Taz, think. She's got you trapped in this area with a height and weapon advantage._ The faunus thought to himself. Clenching his teeth as all his strategies came up blank Taz pulled out his tonfa and began firing at Mini with the pistol function.

Mini Dropped behind the rock she was on causing Taz's shots to miss and fly wide. Taz took this opportunity to run forward toward the rock. He was stopped as he set off another trap and dozens of arrows were shot at him from nearby trees.

"You really think I wouldn't guard the only safe spot here?" Mini asked, laughing loudly as she heard Taz desperately avoid her traps.

Everywhere he moved Taz set off another trap. He knew the wires connecting the traps were around but he didn't have time to locate them as he avoided each hazard. Each trap was simplistic and limited to arrows or stones. Taz knew that the girl would've only a few minutes to set up the traps and so al he had to do was wait until each one was exhausted.

This didn't play well for him since he could feel himself begin to tire from the rapid movements. Mini popped out from cover and shot three large arrows at Taz. The shots were wide however and missed the young man by several inches.

"What's the matter? Did you leave your glasses at home?!" Taz called out with excitement.

"You must be stupid if you think those are normal arrows!" Mini exclaimed back.

Taz took a second look at one of the arrows that had buried itself headfirst into the ground. That's when he noticed the small bomb attached.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!" Taz cursed as he ran away. The first explosion did nothing to him but the second one knocked Taz forwards with the third one sending him off to the side and sliding across the ground. Jumping to the ground Mini ran at Taz and drew both her sword and axe.

"It's time to end this, faunus boy!" she cried out.

Taz struggled to his feet and turned to face Mini. He knew his aura wouldn't last but he didn't care as he activated his semblance. Crackling sparks formed around him as Taz began to gather static electricity from the air into his hands. Mini felt the change in the air but ignored it as she began to strike out at Taz.

The young man blocked the ferocious assault with his tonfa while continuing to gather energy. Mini was ruthless as she cleaved with her axe and cut with her sword. The attacks were actually making their way through Taz's weakened aura and cutting through his clothes as small wounds began to bleed.

Lifting her axe high Mini prepared a massive blow before swinging down with all her might. Taz crossed his guard catching the weapon in between his tonfas. He could feel his weapons bend beneath the force of the attack and clenched his teeth as he was pushed down. With her sword Mini pulled back and rammed the blade into Taz's chest before lifting him into the air.

"You lose faunus boy." She whispered softly into his ear.

"My name is Taz Argent, bitch." Taz whispered back before placing his hands on her chest and delivering massive amounts of energy directly at Mini.

With all her metal weapons acting as conductors the damage Mini took was multiplied immensely. The electricity flowed endlessly between the two fighters from Mini's weapons to Taz and back. Its intensity grew until finally Taz and Mini were blow back away from one another.

Taz hit the ground hard and rolled into a tree while Mini was able to land on her feet before crashing to her hands and knees. The giant huntress-in-training was breathing heavily as she recovered from the surprise attack. Looking over at Taz, Mini was surprised to see that the young faunus had used the electricity to cauterize his wounds and prevent himself from bleeding out while unconscious.

She walked over to Taz and looked down at his helpless form. Every instinct inside her was screaming to kill him but she remembers Simon's words. Turning away from Taz, Mini left him behind in the clearing and proceeded to the location where Simon and Jack's scrolls were being tracked.

* * *

A/N: Don't know if this qualifies as a cliffhanger ending but whatever, you know the deal. Drop a review with your thoughts or put the story on your alert list for future updates.


	16. Chapter XV

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XV: Team MTAL – Second Trial Part Three

* * *

 _Bio-dome Three Forest clearing_

Layla sat with her arms crossed. Simon hadn't been lying when he spoke about the purity of his dust. The blinding effect from his attack was still active. It had been close to twenty minutes since their stalemate had started. Layla was just now starting to feel the effects of keeping her semblance activated for so long.

The only reason she had lasted as long as she had was because she wasn't moving or fighting which would draw on her aura to protect her from attacks. From the way she felt Layla figured she was down by roughly two-thirds her maximum output. Rubbing some of the dust from her eyes, Layla was surprised to feel it begin to fall away.

 _Finally, it shouldn't be too long till I've regained my sight._ The young fisticuffs fighter thought to herself as she began to loosen up her muscles. Stretching her legs and rotating her arms, Layla worked the stiffness that had started to build up in her joints fade away. Simon chuckled softly from a distance away causing Layla to l point herself in his direction.

"What's so funny?" Layla asked Simon a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice.

"If you must know, it's you." Simon replied.

"While you've been biding your time till my dust's effect wears off, I've been laying mines around the area. You're trapped here." Simon continued.

Layla smirked at this and rubbed more of the dust out her eyes. Her sight returned but it was blurry and out of focus. She saw Simon's shape sitting down in front of her. Layla knew she'd need maybe a minute more before she could effectively take him down.

"You've lost this one Layla, just surrender." Simon offered.

"Surrender? You'll be the one begging for mercy when I come at you." Layla shot.

The silence that followed was intense. Layla was mentally counting down the seconds as her vision improved. She had calculated one minute and forty-seven seconds until her sight was completely back. So far everything was matching up.

Blinking away the rest of the dust Layla smirked and charged towards Simon. She had only taken two steps when the ground exploded with white light. Thrown backwards Layla hit the tree she had been sitting against and was thrown forward by another explosion. This time she hit the ground face first and bounced to the side. On the third bounce Layla activated another mine. Thrown to the side Layla was caught in a chain of explosions.

Unable to escape Simon's trap, Layla defended herself to the best of her ability as explosion after explosion propelled her around the area. She could faintly hear Simon cackling over the explosions and clenched her teeth in anger. She had been careless. Her logical thinking had weighed Simon's words and came to the conclusion it was a bluff.

This mistaken thought process was now costing Layla as the chain of explosion continued to fling her body around like a ragdoll. Catching one final explosion to the back Layla was sent sliding across the ground before stopping directly in front of Simon. Simon felt his sight return to him and looked down at the battered young female.

"Have you had enough?" Simon asked.

"Is that…all you…got?" Layla replied weakly as she struggled to lift herself up.

Simon sighed and stood up opening his tome. Layla continued to struggle in vain to stand to her feet but to no avail. Walking over to Jack's body Simon made sure his leader was secure and unharmed even further from the explosions before facing Layla.

"Just remember, I gave you the chance to walk away." Simon said darkly.

The young dust caster held his tome off to the side with his staff raised. The gem at the top of his weapon began to glow and take in dust from the book. Layla saw Simon begin to charge his attack and clenched her teeth before finally standing to her feet.

 _I'm about to be running on empty, but before I go I'll take his smug ass down a peg or two._ Layla silently vowed. Closing her eyes Layla began to summon the last of her stamina and aura. She knew she'd only have one shot and had to make it count.

"Indignation Judgement!" Simon cried out.

From the gem of his staff a massive hammer-head made dust energy formed. Simon quickly put his book into the clasp on his hip and grabbed his staff with both hands. Lifting the weapon above his head, Simon cried out before smashing it into the ground.

A massive shockwave was shot forth at Layla and caused nearby trees to splinter. Layla stood her ground as the attack barreled towards her. At the last possible moment, she extended her arms and activated the hidden function of her gauntlets. Firing the claws into a tree to her right Layla avoided Simon's attack.

Shock and surprise were evident on the young man's face as he saw Layla rappel herself out of the way. With her left claw Layla fired at a tree behind Simon and pulled herself towards him with intense velocity. Crashing into the young man Layla began punching and kicking Simon with all her strength.

The two tumbled and rolled on the ground. All the while Layla did not let up her relentless assault. Simon felt each hit and coughed up blood from a particularly nasty hit. His improved defenses were crumbling under Layla's sheer strength. With his tome closed he was unable to summon dust to aid him either.

Layla could feel her strength fading but would not let up. _I'm running on empty but I have to put him down!_ Layla thought as the strength of her blows lessened. Suddenly a figure crashed through the trees and kicked Layla off Simon.

Simon looked up and saw Mini standing over him. The giant woman had saved him at the last possible moment. Reaching down Mini helped Simon to his feet and handed him a small first aid kit.

"Patch yourself up. I'll finish her off." Mini instructed as she adjusted her knuckledusters.

Mini walked up to Layla's crumpled form and lifted the smaller teenager by her hair. Layla's left eye was shut as she squinted through the right. The two heavy hitters stared one another down.

"You messed up my teammate pretty badly." Mini mentioned angrily.

"I figured you must have done the same to Taz." Layla replied, spitting a globule of blood onto Mini's cheek.

Wiping the blood from her cheek with her free thumb, Mini licked the liquid from her finger and smirked. Mini delivered a destructive punch to Layla face. There was an audible " **crunch"** as Mini's fist connected. Layla was knocked unconscious from the first hit but it didn't stop Mini from punching away at her.

"Mini, that's enough!" Simon cried out.

Layla's face was bloody and bruised as Mini dropped her to the ground. Mini finished the assault by delivering a swift kick to Layla's ribs. The beaten and broken young huntress rolled a few feet away before coming to a stop. Mini walked over to Jack and lifted his form before following after Simon. The team proceeded back to their base taking a shortcut through some bushes.

Upon arrival Mini made sure to secure Jack near the flag. Their base was a small stone house with the flag stuck outside planted in the ground nearby. Simon continued patching himself from the injuries he received while Mini checked her arrows.

"Ok so we know, that two of them are down. I say we find Nina then take their flag. We don't know if their hostage has been rescued so if we bolster our ranks, we'll increase our chances of victory." Simon told Mini.

Simon had been more badly hurt than he originally thought. His aura levels were low and the amount of dust attacks left in his tome would probably only last one more altercation before he had to rewrite the incantations. Finishing up his bandage work Simon put his robe and stood up. Mini looked over at the caster and smiled and nodded before leading the way out of the camp.

 _Bio-dome Three Team MTAL Base – Forty-seven minutes later_

Malyganya sat on the roof of the shack with her rifle across her lap. Taz and Layla hadn't checked in or responded to her hails when she tried to reach them. The only conclusion was that the members of Team JSMN had taken them out. Sighing she began strategizing on how she would deal with the opposing forces.

"If it's one on four then I'll be in trouble." The young woman spoke aloud as she closed her eyes in thought.

"Mini is the main problem, with her multitude of weapons and obvious strength." Malyganya speaking.

"Hopefully I'll be up against Simon and the twins. If Layla and Simon were able to take out even one of them then it'll make things easier for me."

"Well then it looks like things won't be easy." Malyganya heard a deep female voice speak from the surrounding area. She recognized it as Mini, the giantess. Readying her rifle Malyganya scanned the tree line.

"You're outnumbered and outmatched. Simon says I need to offer you a chance to surrender but honestly I know you won't take it." Mini continued.

"You're right, I won't!" Malyganya exclaimed before firing.

She heard Mini swear loudly as her bullets found their mark. Bursting from the trees Mini began firing arrows at Malyganya. The projectiles were destroyed in midair by Malyganya's higher caliber rounds. Mini knew that weapon-wise she was at a disadvantage and tried to close the distance between them.

Malyganya shot at Mini's legs trying to cripple her. The large huntress-in-training tumbled off to the side to avoid taking damage. Taking cover behind a rock Mini cursed herself for not anticipating the enemy using an automatic weapon. From her perch atop the shack Malyganya smirked. She had driven Mini right where she wanted.

Activating her semblance Malyganya used telekinesis to activate the trap she had placed near the rock. Mini cried out suddenly as the ground beneath her broke. The pitfall trap had been held in place with a few strong tree limbs which snapped under the combined weight of Mini's body and Malyganya's telekinesis.

Still using her power Malyganya pushed the rock to cover the hole. Satisfied that Mini had been dealt with for the moment the leader of Team MTAL turned her attention to the rest of the area that made up the base. Suddenly She saw Nina materialize in front of her with a spinning back kick.

Malyganya was barely able to dodge the attack as she back-flipped away. Unloading the rest of her clip at Nina, Malyganya sought to put distance between them. This plan was thwarted by the arrival of Simon and his fire bolts which knocked Malyganya backwards towards the shack.

Landing hard on the Ground Malyganya was quick to her feet and switched her weapon to its third form. The blades folded together into one thick sword with the barrel of the gun attacking as the back of the weapon. The handle curved slightly to accommodate for both the gun and sword functionality. Adopting a one-handed stance Malyganya looked to her left where Nina had just landed after jumping off the roof of the shack.

She looked at Simon and noticed how ragged the young man looked. _So they took out Jack and were able to weaken Simon. Thank you Layla and thank you Taz. I won't let your sacrifice be in vain._ Malyganya silently vowed.

Pulling the trigger of her weapon, the dark-haired huntress began firing at Nina to keep the close-quarters combatant at a distance while closing the distance between herself and Simon. In its new form Malyganya's weapon was now semi-automatic but still powerful.

Nina rolled away avoid the rounds as they peppered the ground. Simon began blasting at Malyganya with icicles and fire balls trying to keep her from getting close. This proved futile in the end. Malyganya was at full strength while Simon had taken considerable damage with little time to heal in between. In seconds the swordswoman was on the dust caster.

Striking hard and fast Malyganya struck Simon with her blade seventeen times before spinning and kicking the young man to the ground. Simon collapsed hard and stayed down, unmoving. With him out of the way Malyganya was able to focus on Nina. Her opponent was no pushover however and had taken the brief respite from gunfire to close the distance between the two.

Upon reaching her Target, Nina began her furious assault. First she struck with two lightning quick jabs followed by a low kick to Malyganya's thigh and finished with a high kick to the young woman's face. The speed at which Nina attacked surprised Malyganya and left her stunned.

Nina wasted no time exploiting this. Kicking out, Nina connected with her left foot against Malyganya's chest. She continued by kicking Malyganya's sword out of her hand with her right foot and spin kicking Malyganya to the ground. As the now disarmed woman slowly got to her feet she was met with another barrage of kicks.

Two straight left kicks to the upper and lower torso followed up by a low right kick to the thigh that finished with a high right to the face. Malyganya sprawled to the ground form the assault but was able to roll to her feet quickly. When Nina rushed in for another assault she was met by Malyganya's foot to her face.

Even unarmed, Malyganya was a formidable fighter. While she knew her skills would hardly hold up to someone exclusively trained for unarm combat, Malyganya was confident she could hold her own for a while. The stunning kick was followed by two quick high right kicks before Malyganya spun and slammed her left leg down on Nina's shoulder.

Nina fell to one knee but did not allow Malyganya to take control of the flow for their engagement as she countered with a swift punch to her targets stomach. The attack was quick, powerful, and stunned Malyganya as she doubled over. Standing quickly Nina kicked Malyganya with a swift left-right combo before jumping and delivering a devastating spinning back kick to the side of Malyganya's face.

Once again sent to the ground Malyganya lay defenseless for a second; which Nina took advantage of by kicking her in the side and lifting her into the air with one leg. With a sudden twisting jump Nina took to the air and slammed her opposite foot square onto Malyganya's back which sent her foe crashing back into the ground.

From her prone position Malyganya saw the rock that trapped Mini move. Seconds later it was thrown to the side as the giantess climbed from the hole she had been trapped in. Malyganya swore silently to herself and rolled out of the way as Nina tried to kick her once more.

Quickly rising to her feet Malyganya rushed at Nina who was exposed from her previously failed attack. A short right punch to the torso lowered Nina's guard. This was followed by a right hook to the face and a left kick to the side before Malyganya swept and delivered a kick to the side of Nina's shins.

Nina crumpled slightly from the attacks to her core and base but Malyganya wasn't finished. With a swift delivery of three kicks Malyganya punished the left side of Nina's torso as well as both the left and right sides of the young woman's face with a pendulum kick.

Before Malyganya could continue any further however she was struck with a blast of wind and thrown towards Mini. As she flew through the sky Malyganya looked over and saw that Simon was still on the ground but fully conscious. He had played possum for the most opportune time to strike.

Mini caught Malyganya by the head and roughly slammed her into the ground. Dragging Malyganya across the ground a few feet Mini lifted the smaller huntress into the air and delivered a series of left-right combinations. The speed of the attacks was surprising, considering Mini's size. Malyganya was sent flying into the shack after the final blow.

Crumpling to the ground Malyganya coughed up blood and tried to focus her thoughts on using her semblance. Staggering away from the shack Malyganya was caught off guard by a sudden attack from Nina. The young martial artists had been sprinting towards her and delivered a series of kicks that looked physically impossible.

First a flying straight left kick that lifted Malyganya off the ground. This was followed up by a swift spinning straight right kick that lifted both teenage females higher off the ground. With one final spin Nina axe heel-kicked Malyganya on top of the head and caused the young woman to smash face first into the ground.

Malyganya lay in the dirt trying to catch her breath and get a sense of her surroundings. Mini approached while Nina just looked down at her.

"You should have surrendered when you had the chance." Mini taunted as she lifted Malyganya up by her hair.

Malyganya just looked at Mini and Nina and clenched her teeth. She knew that Mini would have had to be taken solo. Now both the female members of Team JSMN were facing her and there was nothing she could do. Closing her eyes Malyganya resigned herself to this defeat.

"MALYGAAAAANNNNNYAAAAAA!" a female voice suddenly exclaimed from the air.

The person in question opened her eyes to see the arrival of a strange young woman. The young woman had just kicked Nina away and delivered a powerful open double-palmed strike to Mini's torso which caused the large woman to release Malyganya and slide back a few yards.

Malyganya was caught bridal style by the stranger. The woman had long orange-red hair that came past her waist. She was about the same size of Malyganya and stood maybe three or so inches higher. Putting Malyganya down on her feet the stranger smiled brightly before handing over her sword. Malyganya accepted the weapon and was able to get a better look at the stranger.

She was dressed exactly the same as Amber but her body was so much different. Where amber was small and thin, this person was above average in terms of size with a healthy muscular structure. Amber's breasts which were near non-existent were a direct contrast to this woman's massive rack. It rivaled or even surpassed Malyganya.

"Amber?" Malyganya asked cautiously.

The stranger just smiled and laughed.

"In a sense, but let's take care of these girls first." The Amber imposter stated as she drew her twin short spears from her back. Twirling the weapons, the young woman smirked and combined them at the base to create a full length double-ended spear.

Malyganya decided to put her questions on hold while they dealt with Nina and Mini. Readying her weapon Malyganya began to activate her semblance, feeling the pulsing psychic energies around.

"Alright then bitches, who's first?"

* * *

A/N: I'll let you guys decide who delivered that final line. Anyways drop your thoughts with a review and enjoy this for the weekend. Also if you're having trouble picturing Malyganya's third weapon form look up an image of Ovan's sword from the .hack series. Her weapon was inspired from that.


	17. Chapter XVI

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XVI: Team MTAL Second Trial Part Four

* * *

 _Bio-dome Three Holding Center_

Amber slowly opened her eyes as she awoke. Staring at her surroundings the young woman was confused. She was in a building, decrepit and old, and was currently tied down on a table. Looking ahead she noticed another person was in the area with her.

"E-ex-ex-excuse me, miss?" Amber called out nervously.

The young woman, who was also strapped down opened her eyes and stared at Amber intensely. Amber immediately looked away and blushed. She recognized her captive companion as Nina from Team JSMN, but was unable to answer what they were doing strapped down.

"What did you call out to me for, Amber?" Nina asked forcing Amber to look at her once more.

"I ju-just wa-wa-wanted to make sure you were fine." Amber answered.

Nina smiled and chuckled softly.

"You are naïve and cute; definitely not cut out to be a huntress." Nina declared causing Amber to blush harder.

"You sho-shoul-shouldn't say mean things like that." Amber managed to squeak out.

"I'm not mean. I'm only stating the truth." Nina countered with an even tone.

"You don't even know me." Amber spoke back feeling confident.

Nina chuckled once more and tested the restraints on her body.

"Amber from the moment our teams met, I've done nothing but analyze you guys." Nina began speaking after finding out how secure she was bound.

"Malyganya fits the role of leader. She's got the attitude and maturity for it. I could tell she was already checking us out from the way she looked us over. She's smart and knows how to plan ahead." Nina continued.

"Layla, is a fighter through and through. I can see why she and your faunus teammate Taz get along so well. Speaking of Taz, he's a bit of a mystery. I know he's more observant than he puts on but he hides it behind jokes and a carefree attitude." Nina's observation for Team MTAL's members were close to spot on in Amber's mind.

"Then there is you. You hid behind your leader. You were the last to introduce yourself and your whole demeanor reeks of meekness. You are without a doubt the most unqualified person on your team. What can you bring that the others don't have in spades?" Nina questioned.

Amber's face dropped as tears began to fill her eyes. She knew that she wasn't as combat proficient as the others. She knew that she couldn't measure up to her female companions either. Amber knew that by far she was the weakest link on the team but to be called out on it was too much for her to handle.

"Look at you, crying at the truth." Nina stated shaking her head in disappointment.

"I may not be strong or fast. I may not be combat ready or even a combat asset. But I know I can be part of the team. I want to be a huntress. I will be a huntress." Amber spoke clearly. She lifted her face to look Nina directly in the eye.

Nina smiled and let out a long low whistle.

"Well well, you might have some fire in you after all but my statement still stands. You don't bring anything to your team that they don't already have." Nina stated simply.

"Yes, yes I do. I can heal others." Amber shot with an intensity that was so different from her normal self.

"You're a healer? How so?" Nina asked.

"With my aura I can rapidly heal others even faster than their own aura allows." Amber explained

"So your semblance is healing?" Nina asked for clarification.

Amber shook her head furiously before answering.

"No, it's not a semblance exactly. I don't even know what my semblance is. This is just a skill I developed. I hated seeing people hurt and so I always tried someway to help them. Passing my aura into someone else to heal them is the result of intense training." Amber elaborated.

Nina smiled and nodded.

"Thank you so much Amber, you've been very informative. Ok guys I think we have enough." Nina called out.

Amber looked around confused. From the shadows of the area Nina's teammates appeared. Dread and fear replaced the young woman's confusion as she realized what she had just done.

The giant young woman named Mini walked over to Amber. Amber tried to shrink away as min got face to face with her. Laughing suddenly Mini slapped Amber across the face.

"Fucking idiot." Mini spat the insult out.

Amber just began to blush once more, this time out of embarrassment. The tears that had welled up in her eyes before had now started to fall. She had revealed too much about her abilities to the enemy. Nina was right when she said that Amber wasn't cut out to be a huntress. Sniffling softly Amber tried to wipe away her tears using her shoulders.

"Well the good news is she hasn't been freed so we won't have to worry about her ability being used." Simon stated.

Nina jumped off from the table and began rubbing the areas that had been restrained.

"We could have gotten more but with the time limit on the trial we can't just dally here." Nina stated, rotating her neck around.

"Well should we keep someone here as a guard so their leader can't rescue her?" Mini asked while occasionally slapping Amber's face.

"No need for that. Malyganya wouldn't risk keeping their flag completely undefended. I can safely say that she'll be there guarding it and with us outnumbering her three to one it should be an easy fight." Simon answered.

"No, you can't just gang up on her!" Amber cried out before being promptly punched by Mini.

"Shut the fuck up. Children should be seen not heard." Mini said angrily, smacking Amber once more for good measure.

"Mini, stop torturing the fool. It's not her fault she's naïve." Nina stated with a chuckle.

Simon walked over to Mini and looked her in the eye.

"This world is not kind to those with a weak heart but even I find it distasteful to torment someone. I'll make you a promise that we will offer Malyganya the chance to surrender but anything after that is up to her." Simon reassured Amber with a kind smile.

"Thank you." Amber told Simon bowing her head

"Alright ladies, let's go finish this trial." Simon spoke in an authoritative voice.

Mini looked at Amber once more and noticed the circlet. Reaching towards the young girls, Mini took the piece of jewelry off roughly.

"This is a lovely trophy, thank you." Mini mocked.

Amber glared at the large young woman and bared her teeth in angry.

"I don't like that look you're giving me. Take a nap!" Mini exclaimed before delivering a full force punch to Amber's face.

The smaller young huntress-in-training fell unconscious instantly. Smiling to herself Mini turned away from Amber and followed her teammates out the area. A few minutes later a light began glowing around Amber. Her hair began to grow until it reached her waist. It was naturally full and curly. The color changed from its dirty blonde to dark orange-red.

Next, Amber's body began to grow rapidly. Her chest, waist, bust, and hips all expanded. Her legs lengthened and began to grow muscle mass. Her arms and torso also began growing muscle mass as her entire body went through a metamorphosis.

When the transformation was complete Amber opened her eyes which had changed from shoal-grey to dark red. Amber flexed her hands and looked around the deserted area.

"Well shit, someone took my circlet." Amber spoke, her voice was slightly deeper than before and all traces of her previous shyness was gone.

"Ok then, time to get that shit back." She stated with a slightly bored tone.

Closing her eyes, the young woman began gathering her power inside her. Crying out Amber expended her stored power and destroyed the table she had been strapped too.

"Hmm, ninety percent left. Gonna have to make this quick." The young huntress-in-training said aloud before running off.

Amber could see the trail that Team JSMN had left. She thought about the situation and all things considered it might take Simon and the others a while to find Malyganya. If they had scouted out the location beforehand however than Amber had no time to waste.

Running through the forest Amber jumped from tree from one tree trunk to another. She bounced between the trunks like a ricocheting boomerang. Coming upon a clearing Amber saw a figure laying down on the ground.

Walking closer Amber noticed that the figure was her teammate Taz and rushed to his side. Lifting the battered young man Amber inspected his body. Taz was hurt but the wounds she saw had been roughly burned closed. Rest was probably the best course of action for him while his aura dealt with any of his other injuries. Amber brought Taz over to a nearby rock and laid him across it comfortable.

Amber took one last look at Taz before running off into the forest once more. This time she could hear gunfire in the distance. _Damn, seems like they did know the location. That's the only explanation for how they got there so quickly._ Amber Thought as she broke into a full sprint.

The sounds of combat got more intense as Amber closed the distance. She heard the clash of weaponry ring in the air and smiled. _Malyganya is holding her own, that's my leader. I'll be their soon._

When Amber arrived at the combat zone what she saw caused her to stop in her tracks. Malyganya was being pummeled by a team attack between the three remaining members of Team JSMN. Simon blindsided Malyganya with an attack from behind which threw her into Mini.

Mini then hammered into Malyganya after dragging the unfortunate dark-haired warrior across the ground. At the end of Mini's assault Malyganya was thrown into a nearby shack. Amber saw her leader stand up but was confused as to why Malyganya was weaponless.

Looking around Amber saw Malyganya's sword on the ground. Haven taken stock of the situation Amber went into action. She snuck her way over to Simon. The young caster was on his final legs as he struggled to stand. Before he get all the way up however Amber pushed him back to the ground and placed a foot on his chest.

"You were nice to me so I'll make this as pain less as possible." Amber stated with an apologetic smile.

Apply power too her feet, which began to glow Amber lifted her leg before quickly smashing it down on Simon's chest. The dust caster coughed up blood before coughing three times and finally falling unconscious. Turning around Amber saw that Malyganya was at the mercy of Nina and Mini.

Rushing to her leader's aid Amber picked up Malyganya's sword and strapped it to her back between her X-shaped spear holder and her armor.

"MALYGAAAAANNNNNYAAAAAA!" Amber cried out as she leapt into the air.

Applying energy to her foot, Amber kicked Nina far away and sent the marital artist crashing through the shack. Upon landing on the ground she followed up her dramatic entrance by spinning around and attacking Mini with an enhanced open double-palm strike. The motion struck Mini's torso and sent the large young woman sliding backwards quite a few yards.

Before Malyganya could fall to the ground, Amber caught her bridal style. The entire thing was executed in mere seconds as one fluid motion. Putting Malyganya down on her feet Amber smiled brightly before handing over her sword. _She doesn't look too bead all things considered._ Amber observed looking her leader over.

"Amber?" Malyganya asked cautiously.

Amber laughed and smiled.

"In a sense, but let's take care of these girls first." She replied before turning to face Nina and Mini. Amber she drew her twin short spears from her back. Twirling the weapons, she smirked and combined them at the base to create a full length double-ended spear.

Malyganya looked over at Amber before getting into her combat stance. Amber could feel power swelling around Malyganya. _Damn, she had this much power left to spare? I'm over here already down to about sixty-five percent. Still it doesn't look like Mini or Nina are going to go down easy._ Amber thought to herself as Nina got up and walked through the hole she had made, looking ahead.

"Alright then bitches, who's first?"

Mini was livid She glared at Amber and Malyganya like a child who had just gotten its toy taken away. Charging in Mini made a direct line for Malyganya. The swordswoman was ready for the attack however and parried axe swing before countering with three quick slashes to Mini's chest. Amber saw her leader engage Mini and turned to face Nina.

"I don't know who you are but you're interfering with an official test." Nina stated refusing to get into a fighting stance.

Amber smiled and chuckled.

"Don't worry about that. If I had broken any rules don't you think the test would have been stopped." She stated back to Nina in a light-hearted tone before charging in.

Nina was almost caught unaware as the spear missed her face by inches. She grabbed the shaft and attempted to take the weapon from Amber. Amber smiled detached the two spears from each other and attacked Nina with the free one, this time a clean hit was scored as Nina stumbled back a few steps.

"That armor and those weapons. You're Amber!" Nina said accusingly.

"Let's just say I'm not quite Amber" Amber stated before engaging Nina once more.

Only a few feet away Malyganya and Mini were still fighting. Since the fight was one on one Malyganya was able to focus her whole attention on it. _Mini is strong and fast. She fights like Roanos but she's missing the one thing he has that makes him so formidable._ Malyganya thought to herself while smiling smugly.

Avoiding a wide swing by Mini, Malyganya arced her blade upwards and down before delivering a massive slash combination. She slashed downwards with a diagonal slash from Mini's left all the way to the right before bringing her weapon up and slashing again from right to left.

The combination was immediately followed by a powerful slash straight downwards that crossed into a side slash forming an L-shaped cut along the outside of the X-shaped cut from before. Malyganya finished the entire combo by flipping to the side and swinging her blade upwards which knocked Mini backwards and slightly into the air. Chasing her target Malyganya gathered psychokinetic energy around her body before slashing at Mini and sending a crescent-shaped beam of energy crashing into the large huntress-in-training.

Mini grunted as she crashed into the ground but quickly stood up and dusted herself off. Noticing that Malyganya was trying to close the distance once more Mini smirked and threw a couple of knives at the approaching young woman. Malyganya deflected the projectiles but was met by Mini and her long spear.

Catching two solid strikes to the chest and face Malyganya stumbled awkwardly to the side and slowly regained her balance. The two warriors squared off as each one looked for a flaw in the others stance. Mini moved first and jabbed out with her spear. Malyganya easily deflected the strike and tried to counter with a cutting stroke.

Mini was able to parry the attack with her own sword however and successfully countered with three more jabs from her spear. Jumping back Malyganya quickly began to form a strategy to get around Mini's spear and sword combo. Changing her weapon into its gunblade form Malyganya charged back in and swung at Mini.

When her sword was blocked this time however Malyganya pulled the trigger repeatedly. Mini was struck with round after round of projectiles at near pointblank range. Smiling Malyganya pushed through the large woman's guard and began cutting at her defenseless body.

Nearby Mini's teammate Nina was also having a rough time with the Team MTAL member she faced. Amber was a lot more skilled than Nina had originally given the girl credit for. The entire fight it had been Amber leading. With her twin spears she was able to keep Nina at a distance.

Nina was breathing heavily as she broke away from another engagement. Amber just smiled at her with a cocky grin. Gathering aura in her palms Nina launched two orbs of power at Amber before spinning and launching a third with both her hands combined.

Amber dodged the first two attacks and blocked the third. Nina had anticipated this though and was on Amber the second her attack exploded. Nina kicked at Amber's arms repeatedly going from left to right with multiple strikes. Amber felt the attacks but refused to drop her spears. _Only forty-seven percent left. Let's give her a big one._ Amber thought as she gathered her power.

Nina continued her assault on Amber without remorse. Amber's armor greatly prevented damage as it absorbed the impact from the kicks. Jumping back Nina began breathing even heavier than before. _She must be weak if all she can do is guard._ Nina thought giving herself time to smile. She prepared to engage Amber once more but was stopped when her opponent lowered her guard with a smile.

"Alright it's time to end this." Amber told Nina before taunting her with a 'come here' hand gesture.

Nina clenched her teeth and charged Amber, determined to put the young red-head down. With a feral cry Nina slammed her foot into the side of Amber's face with a powerful kick.

Amber chuckled softly and combined her spears into one as she rolled her face with the kick.

"CROSS COUNTER!" Amber exclaimed loudly.

Before Nina could react she was struck with Amber's spear on the right side of her body. Amber quickly began striking out at Nina with hard and powerful strikes. Swinging her spear, she caught Nina across the face following the first strike. The left blade of her spear cut across Nina's body as the third strike hit. Swiping upwards Amber cut at Nina again before separating her spear into their twin form.

"Prepare for multiple penetrations, you dirty whore!" Amber exclaimed with a demented laugh.

Quicker than eyes could follow Amber began stabbing furiously into Nina multiple times. The amount of hits that landed upon her body was quickly lost to Nina as she was lifted from the ground. Amber continued to laugh even after her blades began drawing blood. With a final thrust of her spears Amber skewered Nina through each of her shoulders.

Amber looked up at the bleeding form that was Nina. Her spears had done massive amounts of damage and left Nina barely breathing. Smiling dementedly Amber brought Nina close to her and lifted a foot to the half-dead girl's chest.

"Get the fuck off my blades." She stated before kicking Nina backwards and to the ground.

Nina crumpled and rolled as she hit the ground and was left to bleed out. Amber turned and saw that Malyganya and Mini were still engaged in combat and smiled before clutching the side of her head. _Shit, Fuck, Ass whore. I've lost too much. I'm at less than fifteen fucking percent. Need to get that fucking circlet back before it's too late._ Amber thought to herself as she made her way over towards her leader.

Mini landed on the ground and continued to glare at Malyganya. Her target faced her with a calm demeanor. After everything they had been through Mini was mostly pissed that her teammates were too weak to be of any help in the end. She noticed that Nina had been taken out and swore internally.

Looking between Malyganya and the slow approaching Amber, Mini cried out and threw off all her weapons.

"I'll thank you for knocking out my teammates. I really wouldn't want them to see me with my semblance activated." Mini stated as she began to grow.

Malyganya watched as Mini grew larger and larger. Coarse hair erupted from the giantess's body and Malyganya could see Mini's face start to elongate. Mini's hands grew claws as her transformation neared its completion. When she was done Mini was almost double her original size. She had become and anthropomorphic feline creature with two tails and was currently glaring down at Malyganya and Amber.

" **This is my semblance, Soul of the Cat God. Are you scared now?"** Mini's voice boomed.

"Honestly, no I am not." Malyganya answered calmly.

Mini yowled in anger and raised her paw-like hand to swipe at her foes. Before she could do anything though she was stopped by an invisible force.

" **What the hell. What trickery is this?!"** Mini questioned angrily.

"No trickery here. Just my semblance, Psychokinesis in action which allows me to do simple things like telekinesis." Malyganya explained.

Mini struggled in vain to break Malyganya's telekinetic hold on her.

"Here is another thing I can do. It's one of my favorite techniques." Malyganya stated raising her hand.

An orb of silver-white and purple-black energy formed and grew in size at an accelerated rate.

" **What the fuck is that? WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!"** Mini cried out in fear.

"Oh this little thing?" Malyganya asked innocently.

"This is just a ball of pure psychokinetic energy. I call it Psychic Maelstrom. You call it your demise." Malyganya stated before she launched the attack.

From the orb a beam fired and blasted itself through Mini's skulls. The effect of the attack forced Mini to revert back to her normal form and collapse completely unconscious.

Amber looked at Malyganya with awe. Malyganya on the other hand fell to the ground exhausted. Amber rushed over to her leader's side and looked over the young woman. Malyganya looked up at Amber with a weak smile.

"Amber, your circlet is gone." Malyganya mentioned softly as if it pained her to speak.

Amber looked over to Nina and saw that the circlet had been thrown away with the weapons. Laying Malyganya down gently Amber ran over and retrieved her headgear. Wiping off the smudges and dirt she placed it back on her head and sighed contently.

Already she could feel its effects on her body. Walking over to Malyganya Amber's hair began to shrink and change color. Malyganya saw her teammate beginning to transform and watched, mesmerized by the process.

"Amber, what's going on?" Malyganya asked as the girl sat down next to her.

Amber laughed softly and rested Malyganya head on her lap.

"I'll clarify some things up before I go." Amber began.

"First off, I'm not really Amber. My name is Rebma. I'm like a mirror image of Amber." Rebma introduced herself.

Her hair had gone back to its original length and color and she was currently shrinking back to Amber's size.

"Amber has a split personality disorder?" Malyganya asked.

Rebma shook her head and smiled.

"No, she doesn't. This is the result of our semblance, Fracture. Amber is unaware of it because it's almost always active. This circlet keeps her power, and by turn my power in check." Rebma began to explain.

"Keeps it in check?" Malyganya inquired.

"Yes, because we have a massive amount of aura. The downside to me using aura is that I become more feral. Once I'm empty I go berserk. Amber on the other hand can use her aura and once she's empty she actually becomes a formidable fighter. It's an odd trade-off and given Amber's nature she doesn't use aura that often except for healing." Rebma elaborated as her size finished shrinking.

Her eyes began to lose their red-hue and return to Amber's shoal-grey. Rebma closed her eyes and continued to smile.

"Amber trusts you Malyganya and I believe you're a good person. I only have one request before I go. Don't exploit Amber's ability. She is slowly coming to terms with it on her own and soon enough she'll be able to control it." Rebma stated as her voice began to change.

"I only want what's best for my team. If Amber is growing on her own without issue, then unless she asks for help I won't tell her a thing." Malyganya responded.

"Thank you Malyganya. I look forward to the kind of person you turn out to be." Rebma's final words were spoken in Amber's voice before the girl's body slumped to the ground next to Malyganya.

Staring up at the bio-domes ceiling Malyganya sighed. _This team certainly has interesting members. I think I might actually enjoy growing with them. Mother, Father, it's ok for me to have a family isn't it?_

* * *

A/N: Yea so this was a trek and a half to do. I almost split it into another chapter because it didn't feel right but it all worked out in the end. I have got to say that writing Amber has been an interesting experience. Hopefully her creator appreciates how much attention to detail I put into her complex ass :P


	18. Chapter XVII

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XVII: Team SLVR Day Zero - Revelations

* * *

Layla Yuki opened her eyes slowly. Looking around she saw a wall of white curtains surrounded her. The young woman was in a bed with machines attached to her that monitored her health. Layla pushed herself to a sitting position and saw a cup of water next to her bed on a table. Reaching over she grabbed the cup and drank the refreshing liquid.

"Hello?" Layla called out after drinking.

"Hey Layla, you're awake." Layla heard Taz say from her right.

"Taz, what happened?" Layla asked.

"There's a button to your left that'll move the curtains away. Press that first." Malyganya's voice instructed.

Layla found the button which was on a remote with other functions as well. As the curtains moved Layla was able to see that she and her team were in an infirmary. The beds were filled with other students, whom Layla could only guess had gone through there trials.

"We passed the trial." Malyganya stated, answering Layla's unasked question.

"How did we do that?" Layla questioned looking to her left at Malyganya.

Her leader was currently reading a large book and refused to answer. Looking to her right Layla saw Taz smiling at her.

"You're not gonna believe it but Amber was the one who captured Team JSMN's flag." Taz told Layla.

Layla's eyes widened in surprise as she looked around the infirmary for the female in question.

"What do you mean amber did it? Wasn't she the hostage?" Layla inquired.

Taz just continued to smile and looked over at Malyganya.

"Can I tell her?" he asked his leader.

"Don't reveal anything more than necessary." Malyganya answered.

Layla looked between her two teammates and sighed.

"Don't keep me out of the loop. What did she do?" Layla mostly stated than asked.

"Since I can't reveal too much I'll say this. Amber is a lot more powerful than we give her credit for. Had I not seen her in action myself I wouldn't have believed it." Taz said, never losing his smile.

Layla looked to Malyganya for more input but her leader remained silent. Growling with frustration Layla slammed her head back down against her pillow and lay down.

"Layla, it's not that we don't want to tell you." Malyganya began looking over to her teammate.

"I made a promise not to exploit amber and if I reveal too much I might break that promise. Taz is also sworn to secrecy." Malyganya elaborated.

"Yea Layla, I'm sure you'll find out about it soon enough. Just stick around with Amber." Taz stated giving Layla a wink.

Layla looked between Malyganya and Taz once more before smiling slightly and nodding.

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy - Training Field Five_

Sable Argotera looked on as her team stretched out for the morning exercise. It had been two days since the end of first year trials. For Sable that meant putting up with Roanos Stormcloud for forty-eight hours. The young woman sighed to herself as the events of their first night together played back in her mind.

 _Valethornia Academy – School Grounds, two nights ago_

 _Roanos walked through the deserted grounds with Fenrir by his side. The young man was restless. Ever since meeting Malyganya he had begun to question the nature of his mission._ _ **Malyganya ran away from the organization and killed the Licht Jager that were sent after her.**_ _He thought to himself with anger filling his heart._

 _ **I was specifically told to leave her alone should I run into her. The members of the Obumbrata Lux Consilium have gone soft. Traitors should be punished without remorse and Malyganya is a traitor.**_ _Roanos thoughts about his former comrade fueled his anger further. Fenrir looked over at his master and growled softly. Turning his attention to his partner Roanos calmed down._

" _I'm fine Fenrir. It's just some old feelings." Roanos told the metallic wolf._

" _Oh really, just old feelings?" a familiar female voice spoke from the shadows._

 _Roanos and Fenrir watched as Malyganya stepped from her hiding place and strode over to them._

 _Compared to Roanos, Malyganya was a midget. His height and size towered over her but she didn't look away as they locked gazes._

" _Malyganya" Roanos spoke her name with venom lacing his voice._

 _Malyganya looked at Roanos with a seductively coy smile. She had changed out of the clothes that were worn during the first trial. She wore only a dark black nightgown made of soft material._

" _Roanos, you know it's bad form to carry your weapon with you on school grounds, not to mention against the rules." Malyganya stated as she knelt next to Fenrir and began to pet the creature._

 _Roanos clenched his teeth and growled before quickly grabbing Malyganya by the face and lifting the young woman into the air. Malyganya didn't struggle or fight back as she hung off the ground. She just stared at Roanos with an expression that caused mixed emotions within the man._

 _Roanos looked at Malyganya and_ **saw** _her. He saw her aura and presence. He could see her beauty but also saw the scars. Without a word he brought her face to his and kissed Malyganya's lips. Malyganya responded in kind and kissed him back. Roanos closed his eyes and deepened the kiss by pressing Malyganya's body against his._

 _Malyganya broke the kiss shortly afterwards and began laughing softly. Her voice was different though. When Roanos opened his eyes he saw that instead of Malyganya he was now holding Sable Agrotera in his grip. He immediately dropped the young woman to the ground. Sable landed on her feet perfectly and began laughing aloud at Roanos's reaction._

" _What's the matter lover-boy? Missing your traitor of a lover?" Sable asked with a slight mocking tone._

 _Roanos stopped in his tracks and looked at sable with slanted eyes._

" _What do you mean?" He asked cautiously._

 _Sable smirked and bowed slightly._

" _Oh brother of shadows who hides from the light, your sister welcomes you into her embrace." She stated simply before rising._

" _Sister of light whom shadows cannot touch; your brother welcomes your embrace." Roanos responded._

 _Sable had transformed completely to herself and was dressed in her normal attire which consisted of a long, gray vest over a black romper, silver gladiator sandals, and grey hand-warmers. Her weapon was currently in its bow form and strapped to her back. The two agents eyed one another for a moment before Roanos spoke._

" _So you're a member of Lucidiores Umbras?" he asked._

 _Sable smirked and nodded._

" _Do you know of anyone outside the organization who uses our coded greeting?" she asked in response._

" _The greeting you used just now was for a superior addressing a subordinate. I doubt you outrank me." Roanos challenged._

 _Sable merely smirked._

" _Within the organization as a whole I most assuredly do but you encompass the Schatten side while I am part of the Licht." Sable explained._

 _Roanos spat off to the side and glared at Sable._

" _Are you a Licht Jager?" He asked while Fenrir slowly eased back towards him._

 _Sable shook her head._

" _No, I'm on a recruitment mission of sorts at the moment." Sable answered._

" _What is going to be done about Malyganya?" Roanos inquired._

" _Whatever we of the Licht decide will be of no concern to you Schatten." Sable replied._

 _Roanos clenched his teeth and fist in anger._

" _I don't like your attitude." Roanos stated threateningly._

" _I don't much care for the thoughts of a Schatten dog." Sable replied with equal hostility._

" _I'm sure Obumbrata Lux Consilium will understand if I tell them your death was just an unavoidable accident." Roanos stated as Fenrir transformed._

" _Unavoidable accident? Sounds to me like you just want me dead." Sable shot back as she pulled her bow from her back._

" _Fucking Licht, thinking you're better than us just because you follow the laws of society." Roanos spat venomously. Fenrir had finished transforming and was now in his hand._

" _Schatten dog, all you know is to go after balls being tossed. Your methods are vulgar and offensive. Find peace in the righteous judgment I'll pass upon you." Sable told Roanos as she transformed her bow into its sword form._

 _The two agents charged one another with fierce battle cries as rain began to fall. Roanos swung first with his massive blade. Sable nimbly avoided his attack by sliding and struck out at the large man with three quick slashes to his legs and lower torso. Roanos grunted and quickly spun around swinging his weapon._

 _Sable narrowly avoided the second strike as she rolled out of the way. Even with his massive size and the size of his weapon Roanos was quick on his feet. In one fluid motion he swung the blade three times at Sable. She was able to dodge the first two but forced to block the last attack which sent her careening backwards along the ground. Struggling to balance herself out Sable was just barely able to block an Roanos's fist with her arms as he punched at her._

 _Roanos raised Fenrir above his head as the sentient weapon transformed into its second sword form. Bringing the weapon down with immense force Roanos was actually able to force Sable to her knees. Sable clenched her teeth as she defended herself._

 _She had heard about Roanos from other members of their organization. The young man from Schatten who had converted a member of Licht to change sides. The story behind Roanos and Malyganya was famous beyond measure. It gained an unrenowned infamous status when the woman in question reverted back to Licht but continued to consort with Schatten._

 _Roanos was strong and fast. His physical prowess matched only by his mental aptitude. He was one of the highest ranking Schatten-Nachkommen within Lucidiores Umbras. His proficiency with tactical analysis and one-minded determination for the organization's goals made him one of their best agents._

 _Sable was now getting firsthand experience at just how formidable Roanos actually was, she was impressed. Parrying an attack from Roanos, Sable quickly retaliated with four quick sword-strokes of her own. This time she scored clean hits on Roanos but it did little to slow him down._

 _Roanos grabbed Sable by the face with his left hand and lifted her into the air. Unlike the first time Roanos held her with the full face grabbed within his palms. Also this time Sable fought back to be released. She swung at Roanos but missed comically as he lifted her up._

 _Fusing Fenrir to his arm as a bladed gauntlet Roanos began to punch at Sable's stomach and chest. Sable felt each blow as it struck her. Her cries and grunts of pain were muffled behind Roanos's hand. After a few blows Roanos felt Sable go limp and smiled to himself._

 _With a small toss Roanos put Sable into the air. Fenrir was quickly changed back into evolved sword form. Slashing left then right Roanos caught Sable with two powerful hits. He followed this up with a diagonally slash from right to left before curving the weapon in an arc and striking from left to right. From the final swing Roanos's hand was already primed backwards as Fenrir became a gauntlet once more. With a fierce cry Roanos punched Sable square in the solar plexus and sent the young woman flying backwards._

 _Sable sailed across the area before landing on the ground and rolling before coming to a stop. Roanos stood breathing heavily as he watched Sable's unmoving form._

" _My sister's light has been swallowed by shadows." Roanos spoke with a hint of mockery._

" _My light is still strong brother." Sable spoke from her position on the ground._

 _Narrowing his as into an intense glare Roanos stood at full height as Sable rose shakily to her feet._

" _Fenrir." Roanos spoke simply. His companion howled and began to fully merge with him._

 _In seconds twin blades and emerged from Roanos's forearms. Sable looked at Roanos and smirked before readying herself. Roanos charged his target and swiped at her when she was within range._

 _Sable raised her sword and blocked Roanos's dead on. Roanos's momentum however carried him forwards. With her free hand Sable punched Roanos in the face causing his head to turn to the side. Pulling her fist back she delivered a powerful body-blow to her targets stomach causing Roanos to double-over._

 _Putting her mouth to Roanos's ear Sable laughed softly._

" _Here's a piece of information you might find interesting." The young warrior spoke. The rain which had been falling since their fight started was now more intense and almost drowned out Sable's words._

" _You might be a powerful and intelligent fighter but your fighting style has one flaw." Sable continued as she pushed Roanos's weapon off to the side._

" _If someone has sufficiently high aura they can withstand your attacks and counter you. Here's the reason you won't beat me however." Sable elaborated slightly._

" _I'm not a lowly Licht grunt. I'm part of the Licht Kardinal-Regime." Sable finished._

 _Roanos's eyes widened and he slowly turned to look Sable in the eye. In a flurry a strikes Sable attacked Roanos. Stabs and slashes broke through the feeble defense Roanos tried to raise and in seconds he was thrown backwards onto the ground._

 _Fenrir emerged from Roanos's body and collapsed next to the young man as sable walked over to the two of them._

" _Word of warning Schatten dog; don't fuck with the Licht." Sable told Roanos before turning her weapon into its bow form and walking away._

 _Valethornia Academy - Training Field Five, present day_

Roanos had fallen in line after that little event. He had contacted their headquarters to confirm her status which for all intents and purposes meant he answered to her. Sable had received a warning from one of her superiors regarding the matter but it was barely more than a slap on the wrist where she was concerned.

Roanos recovered easily enough and was ready for the trial during the day afterwards. Their trial in and of itself was simple enough. They had to rescue someone while holding off waves of grimm. Lavi and Viridian both performed better than Sable would have given them credit for.

As she thought of the two teenagers Sable sighed. Viridian's deafness was a troubling factor to her. She knew learning sign-language would be easy enough but learning how to compensate for his disability in the field would be aggravating. The members of Team SLVR each finished their warm-ups and walked over to Sable.

Looking at her team Sable thought about each area that she thought they would have to train on. From their experience with the Second Trial she knew Lavi was slow due to the flamethrower she wielded and that Viridian had a stamina problem. When the grimm clearing phase had finished he had been the most winded among them.

"Lavi I want you on the treadmill with weights. We need to build up your speed while carrying your weapon. This'll also give you a boost in your stamina. After that do some weight training and finish in the pool for cardio." Sable instructed the red-haired young woman.

Lavi nodded and ran off to get the weighted clothing she'd need.

Sable turned to Roanos next and the two stared each other down briefly before Roanos looked away.

"Roanos, I want you doing combat training and meditation in the gravity dome. You need to build up your aura for defensive use." Sable told the angry-looking young man.

Roanos merely nodded and motioned for Fenrir to follow before leaving the immediate area.

Sable sighed and shook her head. She knew that Roanos would spend every waking moment plotting against her but decided to put him out her immediate thoughts. Turning to Viridian, Sable looked the small young man up and down.

"Viridian we are going to practice live combat scenarios to help us with hand signals and communication." Sable spoke and signed at the same time so that Viridian could have a better understanding of her.

Smirking slightly Viridian replied that he understood and motioned for her to lead the way. Sable smiled at her teammate and together the two of them began walking.

* * *

A/N: So here's a small tidbit regarding Team SLVR. I didn't want you guys forgetting that they are part of the story. The way they are being showcased is a deliberate decision on my part because of what i have planned for the future. If you have concerns, drop a review. If you have questions, Drop a review. If you want to leave a review, drop a review. Other than that Alert/Favorite the story and look forward to the next chapter.


	19. Chapter XVIII

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XVIII: The Resolute Vs The Wavering

* * *

Jett Volus yawned loudly from the back of the classroom. It had been three weeks since his enrollment alongside his teammates of Team ORCJ. After the initial excitement of the trials, the actual classes turn out to be boring. Jett looked around the room at the other students. He saw Roanos Stormcloud and Viridian O'Neill of Team SLVR sitting off to the side and clenched his fist angrily.

The members of Team SLVR had gained a bad reputation because of Roanos. During mock battles Roanos mostly ignored general rules of engagement and attacked his opponents as if the battles were real. No one tried to confront him about it outside of classes and so Viridian was chosen as a target for revenge.

The unfortunate young man had been stuffed in broom closets and hung from the flag pole by his underwear on more than one occasion. Roanos had only stepped in after a word from their team leader, Sable and now the two young men were nigh inseparable.

Jett remembered what Roanos had put Orpheus and himself through during the first trial. Although he had been told to let it go, Jett took every chance to try and even the score. Whatever Roanos did, Jett made sure to do better. This mindset didn't work for Jett however since Roanos test scores were always better. Roanos also had a small following of fangirls who were undaunted by his glare and evil presence.

"Jett Volus, focus on the lecture." Jett heard Crimson say from behind him.

Jett sighed and looked towards the instructor. Another pain in his ass was Crimson Carmine. The difference between their skills was like the distance between the ground and sky. During team building exercises it was Crimson who was able to execute orders and tasks without fail. Orpheus had slowly grown into his role as leader. He was able to give them instruction and commands without second guessing himself.

Jett noticed the clock nearby and narrowed his eyes. _Why the hell is this class so fucking long?_ The young man thought to himself with frustration. Suddenly a paper football went sailing through the air in front of him. Taz Argent, Layla Yuki, and Lavi Southwark were somehow playing a three-way game. The members of Team MTAL and SLVR got on surprisingly well with one another.

The rumor flying around the academy was that Sable and Malyganya were old friends. Jett had yet to confirm anything with Malyganya however. The leader of Team MTAL had only two classes with young man and they were usually too busy during class to interact with one another. Writing a few notes from the lecture Jet felt his mind wander. He looked outside to the scenery below.

From his vantage point he saw squads outside practicing team maneuvers and running combat drills. _I'd much rather be doing stuff like that than taking notes in here._ Jett thought with a sigh.

"Mr. Volus am I boring you?" the instructor asked breaking Jett's train of thought.

Looking ahead Jett saw that the entire class was looking his way. Taz, Layla, and Lavi were all snickering behind their hands. Behind him Jett could feel Crimson shaking his head in disappointment.

"No, no, no that's not it. I was just, uh thinking how I, um could use this tactic in modern combat." Jett hastily spoke.

"Really, you want to know how you could somehow be crowned king after clearing an entire continent of grim for modern combat?" the instructor asked in a shrill voice.

The class began laughing at this causing Jett to blush deeply.

"History, students, learn from it or be doomed to repeat it." The instructor told them before carrying on with the lesson.

Jett sighed and slowly looked behind him. Crimson Carmine, who had reluctantly decided to wear the academy uniform, glared back at him. The young man's scarf had remained part of his outfit but somehow he pulled it off. For the remainder of class Jett had split focus between the instructor and how many times he could catch a glimpse of Layla's cleavage.

When the bell finally rang Jett rushed to meet up with Taz and the others.

"Brah, I can't believe you actually answered the instructor's question." Taz shot at Jett when he had joined them.

"You knew you were caught but ended up making an ass of yourself." Lavi joined in causing the others to laugh.

"Yea, yea laugh it up you guys. I just don't see why we need to learn about the founding of the kingdom. Who cares about stuff that happened over a thousand years ago?" Jett asked as he and his friends walked down the hall.

"It like the lady said 'those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it'" Layla said, mocking their instructors tone.

Jett smirked and pushed the girl off to the side slightly.

"Man you sound just like the old biddy." He commented.

"You all would do well to focus on your studies. When you do bad, it makes your team look bad." The quad-squad heard Malyganya speak from behind them. Layla suddenly stiffened and turned around slowly with a sheepish smile.

"Maly, hey girl. How was class?" she asked with a slight sense of nervousness.

Malyganya looked at her teammate and sighed.

"Informative, to say the least." Malyganya replied as she began walking with the group.

They were joined by Amber who had been sticking close to Malyganya but refused to say a word.

"Did you guys catch the news last night?" Taz asked Jett and Lavi.

The two teenagers looked at their friend and shook their heads.

"So there was an attack on one of the outer cities. No one has claimed responsibility for it, but the Shattered Hollow Gang's symbol was found nearby." Taz explained.

"Shattered Hollow, give me a break. Those guys are such posers. They claim they want down with the monarchy and rise for democracy but all they do is blow up small town settlements and make life hard for the working class." Layla interjected.

"Really, you guys didn't have enough of this during the report last night?" Malyganya asked her teammates.

"I thought Shattered Hollow was one of those neo-paramilitary groups made from discharged soldiers." Lavi spoke up.

"No, you're thinking of the Bleeding Hand. They're the ones mad at the government for what they believe was wrongful discharge. A majority of their members were injured in battle which is why they gave themselves that name, as the bloody hands that once defended the kingdom." Layla corrected.

"The point is that someone is stirring up something. Who knows maybe a war might break out." Taz quickly shifted the direction of conversation back to himself.

"Dude, are you an idiot?" Jett asked with a playful smirk.

"The government isn't going to go to war with pathetic gangs. That's something for local police to take care of." Jett continued with a small laugh.

"You underestimate the power of gangs." Crimsons voice suddenly spoke from the side of the group. Amber squealed at Crimson's sudden appearance while everyone, excluding Malyganya visible jumped in place.

"God damn it Crimson! How many times have we told you not to do that shit?!" Lavi questioned grabbing her breast as she tried to steady her heartbeat.

"If any of you were half as diligent as Malyganya then you wouldn't be caught unaware so much." Crimson stated in response.

"This coming from a guy who can go invisible." Layla spat accusingly.

"He did it again?" Everyone heard Roane speak. The lovable young man was one of the pillars of support in their odd group.

"Roane!" Amber cried out and ran over to the large male before hugging him tightly.

Roane looked down at Amber before petting her head softly. Orpheus soon followed and looked between the group before guessing what had happened.

"Come on everyone we have to get to the gym for combat training." Orpheus instructed, taking charge of everyone.

Lavi broke off from the group a few minutes later. She had a different class with her team than the others but promises she'd see them at lunch. As the members of Team MTAL and Team ORCJ made their way to the next class, Orpheus found a way to get closer to Malyganya.

"So Malyganya, how are you finding things so far?" Orpheus asked looking over at the female for an emotional response.

Ever since their first meeting Orpheus had developed a crush on Malyganya. Jett, of course, had teased him about incessantly when Orpheus told the team about it. Crimson had told him to give up on the distraction. Roane was the only one to offer Orpheus any kind of support.

"The classes are informative but short." Malyganya replied. Her expression remained neutral during her response causing Orpheus to slump his shoulders.

"How are things with your team?" Orpheus tried a different approach.

At this Malyganya looked his way.

"Orpheus, whenever we communicate why is it that you are the one asking the questions?" Malyganya inquired.

The sudden question caused Orpheus's mind to freeze up.

"Well I suppose if you had anything to ask me, then you would." Orpheus answered awkwardly.

The teams entered the locker rooms together and split up to get ready. Team leaders had their own separate section away from their members. This should have given Orpheus ample amounts of time to speak with Malyganya. Unfortunately, whenever the time came to change clothes came around Orpheus made himself scarce.

The first day that teams MTAL and ORCJ had combat training together Malyganya made it glaringly obvious that she didn't mind changing in front of boys. Her reasoning being "Everyone gets seen naked at some point so what do I have to hide."

Orpheus had only seen his crush with her top off but it was enough to make him realize that he need to be mature and give her privacy if he ever wanted to make headway. As they changed Orpheus thought of their past conversations and how much he had learned about Malyganya.

Malyganya told him about how her father had started her training from the time she could walk. It was expected of her as an Oregenera to be a great huntress when she grew up. After her father's death Malyganya had begun traveling on her own. She had been everywhere from the far east trade cities of Mariados to the western villages of Clemptros. Her knowledge of various grimm living on the continent of Valethornia was extensive. Her life story fascinated Orpheus.

Stepping around the corner Orpheus saw that Malyganya was just finishing getting dressed. Like the academy uniform, students were also given general purpose gear for combat training and gym. Girls wore sky blue bloomers with a white short-sleeve t-shirt and matching sneakers. Boys wore sky blue running shorts with a white tee and matching sneakers.

Malyganya had just finished putting her hair into a ponytail and looked at Orpheus with disinterest.

"I've told you on plenty of occasions that you don't have to give me privacy. Just change at your locker." Malyganya told Orpheus as he placed his uniform inside the locker and followed after her.

"Yea I know, but I was raised to give females privacy when they changed. I can't really just change years of being one way overnight you know." Orpheus tried to joke.

Malyganya merely shrugged and headed out with the other team leaders that had already finished changing. _Ugh, how do Roane and Jett talk to girls so easily?_ Orpheus thought to himself before exiting the locker room.

Entering the large gymnasium Orpheus ran over to his team while the various instructors began doing roll call. Jett nudged his leader in the side to get his attention.

"Did you catch another glimpse of Malyganya's tits?" Jett asked with wide eyes of curiosity.

Orpheus shook his head while Roane smacked Jett upside the head.

"Damn man, do you have to do that?" Jett asked his teammate while rubbing the spot that had been struck.

"I wouldn't have to if you didn't make such crude comments." Roane answered innocently.

"Hey, it's not fair that he gets to see Malyganya in the buff so often." Jett shot.

"What are you even complaining about. Girls change in front of you on our side." Crimson spoke with his arms crossed.

"Yea but those girls aren't like _girl_ girls. Layla is practically one of the guys so seeing her naked isn't as fascinating, you know?" Jett tried to explain.

"You are such a weirdo." Roane stated while shaking his head disapprovingly.

"I've already told you that Malyganya isn't that different. She changes in front of the other leaders like it's nothing." Orpheus communicated.

"Yea but you're the only one who can really see her. The other team leaders aren't directly near you guys. The only way they're catching a glimpse is if they go out of their way to look. How can you not see the beauty of your situation?" Jett stated and asked with rising excitement.

Crimson joined Roane in the head shaking as they looked at Jett. Orpheus merely shrugged and turned away from his teammate. After the roll call finished up the various teams went through warm-up exercises before being divided up for group activities.

"Argento, Oregenera, Volus, and Yuki; front and center!" one of the male instructors called out.

"Today is your lucky day, grunts." The instructor told them as he leads them to the combat ring.

"Three rounds of doubles mock combat. According to the chart, you four have the best compatibility on your team for doubles. This should be an interesting fight." The man continued.

Jett and Layla looked at one another with challenging eyes.

"Finally, we get to see who the best is." Jett exclaimed.

"Yea I've been waiting for this. I wanna fight you." Layla shot back with just as much excitement.

Orpheus looked over at Malyganya and notice her demeanor hadn't changed.

"You'll each be given the standard loadout for practice." Their instructor began explaining the rules.

"One combat sword and one pistol. You'll be graded on teamwork, coordination, and combat efficiency. Best two out of three rounds will take home a bonus to their grading. There will no use of semblances allowed and combat ends immediately if someone becomes incapacitated." The older man told them.

"Sir, in previous doubles we were allowed to share weapons with our partner. Is that still allowed?" Malyganya questioned.

"It is allowed and given how often I've seen you and Layla fight together I'm almost surprised you would ask." The instructor answered.

Orpheus frowned at the news and saw Layla's grin widen. Of all first year teams, Team MTAL was at the top of the mock combat leaderboards for the past three weeks. Their team consistently dominated the quads, doubles, and singles. Even Amber was surprisingly competent and consistently made the top twenty in singles. In singles their only real competition had been Crimson Carmine, Roanos Stormcloud, Mini Mattidon, and Roane Grant.

When it came to doubles, Malyganya and Layla had never lost. Even when they had been pitted against Crimson and Roane, the young women came out on top. The match itself was a nail bitter however as they only won by a two-point decision. Since that defeat Crimson had started a rivalry with Malyganya. The two warriors were constantly trying to stay ahead of the other in the singles bracket.

Each team member went to a different side of the ring and pulled the standardize weaponry from its rack. Malyganya and Layla were on the blue side while Orpheus and Jett were red. Malyganya immediately slid her pistol across the top of the ring to Layla. Layla responded in kind by sliding over her sword.

Orpheus looked at Jett and saw the young man bouncing on his toes. _This is about to be a massacre. Jett isn't even going to take Layla seriously. Our best bet would be to break their rhythm like Crimson and Roane had done. They'll probably be expecting that though. Damn it all to hell I need more time to plan._ Orpheus thought angrily.

"Doubles Match: Team MTAL's Malyganya Oregenera and Layla Yuki vs Team ORCJ's Orpheus Argento and Jett Volus. Best two rounds out of three." The instructor told them.

Looking between all four teens, the adult raised his hand into the air.

"Begin!" he exclaimed

Jett rushed onto the ring first and headed straight for Layla who was across from him. Orpheus sighed mentally and ran to back his teammate up. Layla took the opportunity to open fire at both of them with her guns while running to meet Jett's charge.

Orpheus caught a few of the round to his chest and felt the sting sensation that accompanied each impact before sliding to the ground to try and avoid getting hit further. Jett either didn't care or didn't fell the hits as he continued his charge. Raising his sword high the young man chopped down at Layla once he was within striking range.

Layla caught the blade in between her pistols. In one motion she turned the blade off to the side and spun, kicking out at Jett. Landing on her kicking foot Layla followed up with another spin kick to Jett's chest which knocked the older boy backwards and left him wide open.

Quickly taking aim at his exposed torso, Layla began to repeatedly fire at the defenseless young man. Jett clenched his teeth as multiple shots impacted upon his body and was getting ready to launch his counter attack when the shots stopped. He was immediately hit with two quick slashes from Malyganya and kicked to the side of the face.

As Jett sprawled to the ground Orpheus opened fire on the two females hoping to draw them away from his comrade. Layla jumped out of the way while Malyganya began to swing her swords in front of her. Her defensive movements were mostly successful as she deflected multiple rounds away from her.

Jett recovered and immediately jumped back into the fray by charging the distracted Malyganya. Orpheus noticed that their target was caught in a pincer movement and rushed to close the distance just as his gun ran out of ammo. Knowing he wouldn't have time to reload, Orpheus ran full sprint at Malyganya so that she wouldn't have time to defend herself.

This, unfortunately didn't work out to well. Jett swung high and Orpheus swung at the middle but both strikes were blocked by Malyganya's blades. The young woman clenched her teeth and locked her jaw as she struggled to hold off the two males from overpowering her. Kicking out, Jett caught Malyganya in the stomach which made her lower guard against Orpheus.

With the opening presented Orpheus pulled back slightly and then attacked with a stab. The tip of his blade never hit however as Orpheus dropped the weapon and clutched his hand. Layla had shot him as she ran towards the melee. With the opening that had been given now lost Orpheus was now at Malyganya's mercy.

The young woman struck with precision. With her left hand she swung the sword left and right before roughly stabbing Orpheus in the chest. The triple strike combo was done concurrently as Malyganya parried and blocked Jett's attack with her right-handed weapon. Sliding back across the mat Orpheus came to a stop a few feet away from combat and looked up to see Layla smirking down at him.

"You are so unlucky dude." Layla stated with a laugh before unloading her guns on him.

"Round one over, Orpheus Argento incapacitated. Team MTAL's victory." The instructor called out after Layla had emptied both pistols. Orpheus twitched as shocks ran through his body from the shots. Jett walked over to his lead and squatted to the ground.

"You got knocked the fuck out man!" Jett joked before laughing raucously.

Still twitching and with shaky hands Orpheus reached out and tried to strangle Jett but his target grabbed him by the hands and dragged him off the ring to get treated for the multitude of shots.

Layla and Malyganya smiled at one another and high-fived before sauntering off the ring together. Layla, never one to miss an opportunity let her hand rest upon Malyganya's ass and gave it a playful squeeze. Malyganya looked at Layla and just shook her head.

The instructor injected Orpheus with the relaxant and told them the next round would start in five minutes. Standing up weakly Orpheus looked at Malyganya and Layla. The two teenage girls were smiling as they talked. _Your winning streak is about to come to an end, ladies._ Orpheus thought to himself as he motioned Jett over to his side.

The next five minutes were spent with serious strategizing and detailing. When the second round was called Orpheus and Jett were ready. The two rushed into the ring together and immediately opened fire on Layla. Layla smirked and began jumping and rolling off to the side. The tactic had already been used against her before and she was well used to countering it.

Orpheus and Jett continued to fire at Layla until she was at the edge of the ring. With now where left to run she was forced to turn and open fire on them. Jett and Orpheus had planned on it and were already closing in on Malyganya. The dual-wielding swordswoman was cut off from her ranged support.

Roane and Orpheus had timed and counted their shots which left them each with half a clip to use on Malyganya. The three combatants clashed as their swords locked together. Malyganya struggled to push through Jett and Orpheus, but was entirely unsuccessful as they both began unloading the remainder of their ammunition into her. Malyganya cried out in surprise and received a double kick from both Jett and Orpheus at the same time.

Landing hard against the mat Malyganya slid on her back and came to a stop only a few feet away. Orpheus smiled to himself and motioned for Jett to take care of Layla while he went to finish off Malyganya. Charging ahead Orpheus raised his sword and smiled wider.

 _Malyganya is sure to notice me now if I beat her._ Orpheus thought as he saw Malyganya struggle to lift herself. _Now maybe she'll be interested enough to ask me question about my life._ The young man continued to think to himself as he prepared to swing his sword down.

 _Then again this defeat could just make her pissed. She might not want anything to do with me after that. Shit, stop thinking that way and follow through!_ Orpheus's blade stopped mere inches from Malyganya's face as he looked into her eyes. It was that look again, the one from when they first met. The one that captured and trapped him in her presence.

"Double," Malyganya stated stabbing her left sword into Orpheus's chest. She pushed the ground with her right arm and stabbed that one forward as well.

"Demon" Malyganya continued as she spun with both blades.

"Slash!" the young woman exclaimed as both blades were swung horizontally at Orpheus's chest.

Malyganya walked with the momentum and shoulder checked Orpheus hard in the chest. Spinning into the shoulder check, Malyganya planted her feet and pulled her swords back to her left waist before clenching her teeth and gathering strength in her muscles.

"Beast Sword Rain!" Malyganya shouted before rapidly stabbing at Orpheus. The repeated strikes bombarded the young man's upper and lower torso with devastating blows.

Twirling her blades in an arc, Malyganya swiftly swung them up and lifted Orpheus into the air. Jumping into the air after her target Malyganya twirled and slashed down which sent Orpheus crashing into the mat face first. Defying gravity for the briefest of moments Malyganya began to rapidly stab at Orpheus's back with her weapons.

"Tiger Sword Rain!" Malyganya cried out fiercely. Each of her stabs impacted on Orpheus with more force than the one before. The young woman finished her attack string by flipping and stomping her feet into Orpheus's back. Malyganya was breathing heavily as she landed. A second later she walked off her fallen opponent and turned him over with her foot.

"Round Two over, Orpheus Argento incapacitated. Team MTAL's victory. Match Victory to Team MTAL" the instructor called out.

Malyganya looked down at Orpheus with disappointment.

"I don't know why you hesitated Orpheus but whatever it was cost you the round and the match." Malyganya said to the paralyzed young man.

Orpheus looked at Malyganya and struggled to turn his head. Crouching down Malyganya saw that she had really done a number on her friend. She sighed and shook her head.

"The wavering will never beat the resolute. Whatever caused you to hesitate today will kill you in the future if you don't do something about it." Malyganya stated and began to stand up.

Orpheus grabbed her arm and pulled at her weakly.

Tilting her head to the side Malyganya saw the young man's mouth moving and moved her herself closer to hear his words.

"I only...…...hesitated...…...because...…...I like...…...you."

* * *

A/N: So now the actual story commences. Drop a comment in that review box and enjoy this for your weekend fix. Also here's a heads up. I'm starting a new job next week so updates might slow to one or two a week instead of the three. We'll see how things go.


	20. Chapter XIX

RWBY: Paths of Light and Darkness

Chapter XIX: Once More With Feeling

* * *

"I only...…...hesitated...…...because...…...I like...…...you."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Orpheus regretted speaking them. He could see Malyganya's expression change from disappointment to anger. The teenage female smacked him across the face hard before standing up and walking away. Layla ran after Malyganya while Jett went to retrieve Orpehus.

After pulling his leader off the mat, Jett looked over towards Team MTAL. From his position in the gym he could see them all questioning Malyganya but it didn't look like she was saying anything back. The instructor applied the muscle relaxant once more to Orpheus before leaving the young men alone.

"Dude what did you say to her?" Jett asked Orpheus after the medicine had time to work.

"I confessed my feelings to her." Orpheus stated sadly.

Jett sucked his teeth with a slightly pained expression. Looking from his leader to Team MTAL's leader Jett shook his head and sighed.

"Did she say anything back?" Jett asked Orpheus, who had sat up from his prone position.

"She didn't have to. Her expression told me everything." Orpheus replied as he flexed his hands.

"Not to mention her slapping you across the face." Jett added.

Orpheus sighed and looked at Jett sadly.

Moving away from Jett, Orpheus made his way over towards Malyganya and her team. Taz caught sight of him first and went to intercept. Before Taz could speak however, Orpheus pushed by him and continued.

"She doesn't want to speak to you." Layla said immediately as he arrived and barred his way. Orpheus locked eyes with the female and smiled.

"That's fine. I don't need her to speak, just to listen." He shot back with surprising confidence.

"Back off Orpheus, or you will get hurt." Layla threatened.

Malyganya placed her hand on Layla's shoulder. Turning her head to look behind her, Layla saw her leader's expression before moving off to the side. Malyganya's arms crossed over her chest as she waited for Orpheus to speak.

"I know why what I said upset you. You were right when you said the resolute would never lose to the wavering. My feelings wavered because I dreaded your response. I should have finished you and confessed afterwards regardless of consequence. I am unaccustomed to opening up to others. I'm still opening up to my team and learning to be more confident in myself. Once I've become resolute I'll confess to you once more, with feeling." Orpheus said to Malyganya, never breaking his gaze from her eye.

"On that day, we shall see just how strong your feelings truly are." Malyganya replied before turning away. Amber quickly followed after her leader while Layla stayed back to stare at Orpheus. With some silent pestering from Taz the young woman eventually turned away and followed after her leader.

Orpheus exhaled loudly before going over to where Crimson and Roane were sparing with one another. Jett had been sitting off to the side watching them go at it but stood once Orpheus arrived.

"They looked pissed dude. Is everything ok?" Jett inquired.

"I think it will be. For now, it's time for us to do some exercises together. Meet me at the obstacle course in five minutes." Orpheus instructed.

Crimson and Roane had stopped their sparring match and watched Orpheus walk over to one of the instructors.

"He's grown up a bit more." Roane stated with a smile.

"He lost the match due to this distraction. I warned him to let it go." Crimson's muffled voice spoke.

"Let's just go to the obstacle course. I'm curious to see what he'll have us run today." Jett mused as he and the other members of ORCJ walked away.

 _Valethornia Academy – Classroom Two-Forty-Two_

Sable sighed to herself. Beside her Lavi wrote down notes from the lecture. They were currently in their 'Advanced Dust Techniques' class and Sable couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Roanos and Viridian were off on the opposite side of the room together.

The two young men were not the best of friends. They weren't friends in any sense of the word. Roanos hated Viridian. There were various factors that contributed to this hate. Viridian's size, stature, disability, and personality all caused Roanos to look at him with contempt.

If it wasn't for the constant threat of Sable looming over him, Roanos might have killed Viridian. The Licht Kardinal had proven her dominance over Roanos publicly as well as during their private match. Everyone knew that Roanos answered to the second-year student and that had caused opinions of Sable to change.

Before becoming the leader of Team SLVR, Sable had been a singularity. One of few students to be trained one on one by a professional huntsman or huntress. This gave Sable some popularity among the other students. They all knew she was tough but also kind from the way she interacted with others. After her first year had ended sable had been promoted to a senior cadet and given the authority to create her own team.

This was all superficial however as her superiors within Lucidiores Umbras had ordered her on which students to take. It had taken numerous resources for her to get permission to have first year students but with the organization's connections with the government and school it was done. Although she had been denied access to Roanos's mission parameters, Sable deduced that as part of Schatten he was here to assassinate someone.

She couldn't figure out who his target was though and the young man had yet to make a move against anyone. Roanos spent most of his time with the team, mostly talking with Lavi or if need be Viridian. His questions always related to school work and he was never too far away from the group.

Shaking her head Sable tried to clear her thoughts. Worrying about Roanos wouldn't get her any closer to completing her mission. Sable turned her attention to the teacher and began taking notes alongside Lavi.

"Ah yes, Mr. O'Neill. What is it?" The instructor asked taking a break in his lecture.

Viridian began signing his request to the adult.

"He needs to be excused to the bathroom." Roanos translated before his teammate had finished.

"Yes, yes do hurry back now." The instructor replied before going back to the lesson.

Viridian looked at Roanos expectantly as he stood.

"You have got to be shitting me. I have never gone with you to the bathroom and yet each time you look at me like I will. Grow a fucking spine and stop being a little bitch." The grey-skinned teenager spat before turning back to the lesson. The insults were lost on the deaf young man however which frustrated Roanos further.

Viridian sighed sadly and proceeded to leave. While he wasn't able to hear Roanos's words he was able to tell that the larger male was angry from his facial expressions. Walking out the back of the classroom Viridian made his way down the hall towards the bathroom.

Entering the lavatory Viridian went to a nearby stall. He heard the dull thumping of sounds around him and figured that other had entered to use the facilities. As he finished up the thumps of sound began to multiply. This indicated either there were multiple people inside the bathroom with him or that the person that had enter was extremely active.

Neither prospect had anything to do with Viridian as he finished up and left the stall. As he exited Viridian was blindsided from a blow to the side of his face. He stumbled to the ground before being kicked in the stomach. Clutching his abdomen, the deaf young man cried out.

Viridian was lifted to his feet before being punched in the face. He could see that his assailants were from various teams that Roanos had pissed off. Looking up Viridian opened his mouth and tried to protest but was punched in the stomach and fell to his knees before doubling over.

"Fucking freak, you're not so tough without your protector around." One of the young men stated.

"Paweas stobb ittin onb meb." Viridian managed to get the jumbled sentence out.

His request was answered by a kick to the side before being lifted to his feet once more. Viridian could see he was surrounded and frantically looked for some way to escape. Before he could do anything though a kick to the back sent him forwards.

Stumbling towards another assailant Viridian was punched to the left. As the momentum of the blow sent him off to the side Viridian was struck once more in the chest which sent him backwards. Someone grabbed Viridian by the arm and spun the young man around where he chest promptly made contact with someone's foot.

Viridian's cries of pain echoed within the room. His attackers didn't laugh or joke. They merely beat him mercilessly. Another punch to the face was followed by a kick to the side. _Why, why am I so weak?_ Viridian's thoughts played through his mind as he was thrown around like a ragdoll.

 _Why can't I be stronger like the others? I know how to fight but I can't hold a candle to the other students. Why couldn't I have been placed on the same team with Crimson? He didn't scorn me like Roanos does. Lavi does her best but I know that she hates my weakness like the others._

 _Even Sable's patience with me will eventually run out. Maybe it would be best if I just left the academy. If I survive I should leave and make everyone's life better._

 _ **Will their lives really be better, or just yours?**_

The voice inside Viridian's mind wasn't his and a particularly nasty sent him crashing face first into ground.

 _Who are you?_

 _ **Come now Viridian, is this what I taught you all those years for? To just give up when things got tough?**_

 _Mr. Frame?_

 _ **The one and only. Although I guess this is really just your mind speaking to you, kiddo.**_

 _My mind speaking to me?_

 _ **Yea, think about it. Right now you are getting the tar beat out of you. There is no way I could really be there right?**_

Pain from multiple body blows reinforced the point of Viridian's situation as his own internal conversation was interrupted.

 _Mr. Frame, what do I do? My training with you wasn't enough._

 _ **Kiddo, I'm not there to help you. You have all the power you need inside. You just have to be willing to use it.**_

 _But how can I use it?_

 _ **Awaken your power Viridian! It has to be a need, not a desire.**_

 _A need, not a desire?_

 _ **Yea, that or just let them beat you till you fall unconscious. You know whatever helps you out most.**_

 _I almost forgot how much I hated your jokes Mr. Frame._

 _ **You can't have hated them that much if your own subconscious is using them to motivate you. Just remember Vir, the power you to succeed is always found within.**_

Viridian felt himself crash against the bathroom wall and slump to the ground. He hurt all over. Blood oozed from his nose and mouth. His lips were busted and various cuts lined his face and neck. Viridian's uniform was tattered from the beating.

"Gleabe meb alobe." Viridian managed to choke out.

"You want us to leave you alone? Did your buddy Roanos leave us alone?!" the leader of the small gang asked before kicking Viridian in the chest.

The small teen coughed violently and clutched his chest. The other boys followed suit and began kicking at Viridian as well. At this point the bullies began to laugh as their victim. Before they had just wanted to hurt him, but now they wanted to torment Viridian to the fullest.

"Gleabe meb alobe. Gleabe meb alobe. Gleabe meb alobe." Viridian kept repeating as he tried to defend himself.

The young man felt something stir inside as he repeated his plea. A warmth in his chest he didn't knew existed. The warmth spread throughout his body and began to swell in his lungs. Viridian didn't know how or why he did what he did next but something inside told him it was time.

Taking in a deep breath of air Viridian stored everything inside. All the pain from the bullying, the feelings of uselessness, the insecurity of his weakness, and everything he had been feeling for as long as he could remember.

"GLEABE."

"MEB."

"ALONE!" Viridian shouted.

He shouted with devastating force and power. He shouted with every emotion he could. Viridian put his heart and soul into his shout. His soul responded and resonated with the young man's need. His aura however responded to his desire and together the two forces combined into a massive sonic vibration that sent sound wave after reverberating sound wave crashing into the young men who were tormenting Viridian.

Viridian didn't know how long he shouted. He continued to shout long after the power had left him. He continued to shout long after his lungs began burning for oxygen. Viridian continued to shout even as he fell unconscious and even while he dreamed.

 _Valethornia Academy Infirmary_

Viridian slowly opened his eyes and looked around at his surroundings. He could tell where he was immediately and sighed. Once again he had ended up in the infirmary. Sitting up Viridian inspected his body. Various bandages were wrapped around him and Viridian could feel something cold against his throat. Reaching up Viridian felt some sort of collar strapped to his neck.

"I wouldn't remove that if I was you." Viridian heard something.

The young man jumped out of his bed and scrambled off to the side awkwardly. Looking around fearfully Viridian searched for the source of the sound.

 _Wait a second, sound? How do I know this is sound?_ Feeling his heart race Viridian slowly got to his feet. The rapid beating of his heart began to slow as the young man looked around.

"Hello?" Viridian spoke, but it wasn't his voice he heard.

In fact, the more he thought about it the more Viridian realized he could hear different things. The usual thumping of sound that he had grown accustomed to was gone. The young man felt something in his ears and raised his hands to inspect what they were.

"Yea, wouldn't remove those either. They're allowing you to do something you haven't been able to do before." The same voice said.

"Who are you?" Viridian asked.

It was strange to him. For so long he had tried speaking and his mouth never felt like it moved right. He learned how to read lips and could imitate movements but to actually hear himself was something that Viridian never thought would be possible.

"Let's just say I'm a friend." The voice answered.

"A friend? MY friend?" Viridian inquired.

"Yes Viridian, I can be your friend if that is what you want." The voice spoke.

"I do want that. I want you to be my friend." Viridian stated as he climbed back into bed.

Viridian heard the voice laugh softly through the devices in his ears. It was soft and comforting.

"Very well Viridian, then we are friends." The voice said reassuringly.

"What's your name?" Viridian asked.

"All in good time, we'll talk again soon. For now, get some rest." The voice instructed. Viridian yawned and closed his eyes. He didn't know how this had happened and at the moment he didn't care. Finally, he could be just like everyone else.

 _Communications Chamber, Location Unknown_

"Lady Atra, contact has been established with Subject Delta Twenty-two. Shall we update Agent Sierra-Alpha on the status of the target?" a man's voice spoke before turning around.

A woman with long clean blonde hair stepped forward. Her face was hidden behind a mask and her body covered by a large cloak.

"No, she'll be able to figure it out on her own. Our previous interference has already placed us on Vargas and Eze's radar. No need to attract any more attention. Proceed with Operation: Burning Arrow and Operation: White Dagger." The woman, Atra instructed as the various men and women in the room began to type away at their keyboards.

 _Come now frightened children. Embrace the light and all the goodness it brings._

* * *

A/N: I don't even know what to say here now. Um, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think and yes this was a Team SLVR centric chapter. More specifically it focused on someone who hasn't gotten any solo time so hope you enjoyed things from Viridian's point of view. Catch you all next time.


	21. Chapter XX

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XX: Truth and Reconciliation

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy – Outside Training Grounds_

"Again, this time focus" Sable instructed Viridian.

The young man looked at the target. It was a couple dozen yards away and significantly smaller than the targets from before. Ever since the young man had discovered his semblance, Sable had set aside even more time for the two of them to have one on one training. Gathering his aura within, Viridian felt the power swell in his chest.

 **GAAWAAAAHHAAAAA**

The sonic vibrations streaked forwards from Viridian's mouth towards the target. As the attack closed in however, the waves began to dissipate. The sound waves never reached the target and Viridian fell to his knees, exhausted.

"I'm sorry Sable, but it's hard trying to focus the waves." Viridian's strange synthetic robot voice spoke.

It had been two days since the incident had occurred. Viridian had learned from other students that the bullies were all in critical care. Each of them were in comas with multiple organ failures as well as broken bones. The bathroom and two adjacent rooms had been completely obliterated. The academy had canceled classes for the rest of the afternoon following the destruction but now reconstruction was underway.

Viridian had gained some infamy because of what happened but the young man wasn't accustomed to the attention and chose to stay by his team as much as possible. Upon his release from the infirmary Viridian had immediately been sent to the headmistress's office. He explained what had happened and was put on probation until an investigation about the incident could be conducted.

The probation meant his team would be unable to participate in extracurricular activities that required all members. While no one on the team had given him grief about it, Viridian still felt bad. Roanos had actually given Viridian a compliment of sorts when he told the young man that with his semblance activated he wasn't a complete pussy anymore.

Now it was a new day and Viridian was once again trying to master his newfound ability. So far all he had been able manage was a short concentrated wave that lasted upwards to ten or so seconds. Sable was trying to extend the range of the soundwaves and so far progress was slow.

Viridian's semblance worked on the principles of lung strength and aura density. The more air viridian could store in his lungs and mix with aura, the more powerful his attack would be. At first sable had taught Viridian deep breathing exercises to help him accumulate air better.

The results of that had been that Viridian could quickly gather air and blast without having to stop his body in motion. Sable looked down at Viridian and sighed.

"You're holding back." She stated as she turned to look at the target.

Viridian stayed silent as he caught his breath.

"You don't have to say anything, but I can tell you are. Does it have to do with the boys you put into comas?" Sable continued.

"They were bullies but they didn't deserve that." Viridian answered.

"What happened to them is nobody's fault but their own. They chose to mess with you and in doing they got hurt. No one blames you, so why do you blame yourself?" Sable asked.

"I should have shown some restraint." Viridian replied but even as he said the words he knew they were bullshit.

"Restraint? You should have shown fucking restraint?!" Sable exclaimed before lifting Viridian up by this shirt.

"Those sorry excuses for humans were tormenting you. They could have killed you. They had no conscience and were worse than animals. Yet you have the nerve to say that **you** were the one that needed to show restraint?!" Sable jerked Viridian around before roughly pushing him to the ground.

"How the hell would you have shown restraint for an ability you didn't know you had?" Sable followed up as she looked down at the sheepish young man.

"I don't know but-" Viridian began

"But nothing Viridian." Sable interrupted.

The older teenager knelt to look her teammate in the eye and sighed.

"Look, I know you're a good guy but you can't let this misplaced guilt interfere with your progress. What you seek, no one can give you and that's the truth." Sable said before standing.

"We're done for the day. Shower up and head to class." Sable commanded before leaving Viridian alone.

Viridian sighed and lay down on his back before looking up at the sky. The past two days had been more intense than he wanted them to be. Granted no one was messing with him anymore. Was it worth it though, to be responsible for the hospitalization of his fellow students?

"You're thinking about it too much." A voice said from nearby.

Viridian sat up and looked around. From the edge of his field of vision the young man saw Crimson Carmine, of Team ORCJ approaching. The rest of Crimson's team were further down the field. He hadn't really much interaction with the ninja-esque student since their time together during the first trial.

"What are you talking about?" Viridian asked.

"Don't insult my intelligence. You seek reconciliation with your victims. The truth is there is none to be had. You've already dealt with them. Pack up and move on. Thinking about the past only chains you to it. You'll never reach your true potential until you let go of your insane notion of guilt." Crimson stated.

"You don't even know me. What gives you the right to talk to me this way?" Viridian asked challengingly.

"The right? You must mistake me for someone who cares about some imaginary notion of rights when speaking. I talk to whoever I want, however I want, whenever I want. If you want to know what gives me that right its simply because you can do nothing to stop me from speaking this way." Crimson explained.

Viridian narrowed his eyes at the white-haired individual in front of him. Before he could make a move though Crimson stuck first and before Viridian knew it had already pinned him to the ground. Holding Viridian by the arm Crimson chuckled softly.

"Sable is wasting her time with you. After all that training you should have been able to blast me with your ability before I got to you." Crimson stated before releasing Viridian.

"You're too fast." Viridian argued.

"I'm fast, but I can't move at the speed of sound." Crimson countered.

"You hesitated to use your ability because you didn't want to hurt me. That kind of pacifistic thinking will get you or someone you care about killed. If you don't understand that then leave the school." Crimson told Viridian before turning away and heading back towards his own team.

Viridian shook his head and left the training grounds. The young man was frustrated. Everyone was getting on his case about moving on but none of them knew how he felt. Who were they to judge him? With a cry of anguish Viridian sent a soundwave across the area. The wave continued traveling, farther than any of the others had.

 _Did I just do that?_ Viridian thought as he watched the wave dissipate. _There wasn't a target. No one around to get hurt. Could what the others say be right?_ Viridian ran back to where he and Sable had been training and locked onto the target that had been set up. Gathering all his feelings and emotions Viridian closed his eyes and began to breathe.

He felt everything about his body steady. His mind was clear. His heart rate was normal and his breathing flowed naturally. Suddenly Viridian felt a surge of power rush through his body and without thinking he shouted. The soundwave erupted from Viridian and rocketed toward the target. This time his attack didn't dissipate halfway through and continued until impacting upon the target and causing it to explode.

"Damn, they were right. I am holding myself back." Viridian said to himself. Sighing at the realization that he was his own worst enemy Viridian turned away and began walking back to the locker room. The walk back was short as was the change into his uniform but for Viridian, it felt like hours had passed.

The young man walked the deserted hallways to his next class. His gait was slow and heavy. His eyes blank as he was lost in thought. He didn't know how to resolve his issue and he didn't know who he could talk to about it.

Unfortunately, the choice would be made for him. Before Viridian could tell what was going on, he felt himself lifted into the air and thrown over someone's shoulder.

"Let me go, you don't want to mess with me." Viridian quickly stated as he struggled against his captor.

"Or else you'll hit me with your voice? Shut the fuck up and die already." Roanos's signature gravel-toned voice said.

"Why are you kidnapping me?" Viridian asked as he continued to struggle against his teammate.

"Kidnapping? Don't be an idiot. This is just a means to an end. You need to get over this bullshit once and for all." Roanos said.

"What do you mean, it's only been two days." Viridian shot.

"Yea and that's two days too many." Roanos countered.

"Your probation has affected the team as a whole so here is how you'll make it up to us." Roanos continued as the duo walked into the hospital section of the academy.

The hospital and the infirmary were two separate areas. The hospital was for emergencies such as the case was with the young men currently in comas. Viridian figured it was futile to continue fighting against Roanos and slumped against the larger teen in defeat.

Roanos brought Viridian to the intensive care unit. Once there they made their way to the rooms where the bullies were currently staying. Viridian was somewhat surprised to see that the rooms were packed with his victim's teammates. The thought to run away passed through his mind but he knew Roanos would just hurt him if he tried.

"Go, apologize if that's what you think you need to do. Just get it over with." Roanos commanded after dropping Viridian to the ground.

Viridian made his way into one of the rooms and instantly regretted it. One of the female team members began screaming and cursing at him. The best he could do was mumble an apology before trying to sneak back out. Roanos wouldn't let him off the hook so easily and pushed Viridian back inside.

"Get out! This is entirely your fault!" the female from before cried out.

"No, it isn't." Viridian answered calmly.

He thought about everything that had happened the past few days and what his friends had continually told him. It was time for him to stop wallowing in self-pity and move on. Viridian smirked softly as he realized that even though Roanos hated him, the large male actually gave good advice.

"Your friend attacked me and got hurt in the process. I'm sorry that he did but it's not my fault he chose to attack me. His anger was at someone else and he decided to use me as an outlet. That was wrong of him to do. The only thing I can apologize for is hurting him. Everything else is out my hands." Viridian stated before turning around.

This time Roanos let him pass. Viridian went to each of the other rooms and apologized as best he could to the other teams. Not all of them treated him with hostility and that made his task somewhat easier. When he was finished Viridian found that Roanos had already left him. Smiling softly and knowing that he had relieved himself of the burden of guilt Viridian made his way from the hospital to class.

* * *

A/N: So after talking to some of the readers it's come to my attention that I may have been a bit biased or shown certain characters some favoritism. So the next few chapters will deal with characters who haven't had a chapter centered around them. It'll be part filler part plot but each one will show more personality about them.


	22. Chapter XXI

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XXI: Never in the Closet

 _Valethornia Academy Training Grounds_

Roane Grant watched as his teammate, Crimson Carmine walked back over to the group. The young man had been talking to Viridian O'Neill of Team SLVR. When Crimson was within shouting distance Roane waved him over. Crimson tilted his head in slight confusion but made his way over to Roane.

"What was that about?" Roane asked Crimson.

"What are you talking about?" Crimson replied with a question of his own.

"The thing with you and Viridian. You don't usually associate yourself with others unless you have to." Roane conversed as he and Crimson began to spar.

Roane was the closest thing Crimson had to a friend on their team. The two huntsman-in-training were surprisingly compatible with one another. Roane was calm and collected. He was able to read into the hidden meanings behind Crimson's actions. Crimson was able to relax around Roane. When neither of them used semblances they were actually able to fight on even ground which gave Crimson a constant friendly rivalry.

"That was nothing, just giving out some advice." Crimson answered.

Roane blocked a kick from Crimson and smiled.

"You, giving out advice?" the young man laughed and countered with two swift jabs.

Crimson blocked the attacks before attacking with two kicks to Roane's chest.

"I'm not averse to helping others who show potential." Crimson elaborated.

"You don't think Jett has potential?" Roane asked as he got back into his ready stance.

"I don't think Jett needs my help. He is a competent enough warrior on his own. Although I'm loathe to admit it, Jett actually makes this team better." Crimson spoke as he and Roane began sparring once again.

"Makes it better?" Roane inquired.

"Explain." He stated after pinning Crimson to the ground.

Crimson maneuvered out of the pin by locking his legs around Roane's arm and forcing the large teenager to let him go.

"Well when you think about it we have a perfectly balanced team, emotionally. There's you, the calm supportive individual who helps everyone. Orpheus is the slightly timid but ever-growing leader who puts his team's safety first. I'm the introvert loner. I may not play well with others but I know that sometimes a team is the better solution. Then there is Jett. He's the prankster but he also has that serious side to him. The one we rarely see from him." Crimson explained.

Roane was silent as he marveled internally at Crimson's insight into the team. They hadn't been together that long but already Crimson had pegged their personalities.

So on a spectrum I guess Jett would balance you, you balance me, I balance Orpheus, and Orpheus balances Jett?" Roane asked while grabbing his chin.

"Something like that. In terms of skills we are also balanced. We have someone to cover the others weakness so there's really no gap in our strategies. I thought this team would be difficult but you guys have shown me otherwise." Crimson informed Roane.

Roane smiled and turned to look at Orpheus and Jett, both of whom were a few meters away training together. Upon catching sight of them, both of whom were training with their shirts off, Roane immediately felt his face become flush with heat.

"You're blushing again. You know you could just tell him how you feel." Crimson stated suddenly.

Roane looked over at his teammate and let out an exasperated sigh. Roane knew it was only a matter of time until someone noticed. Crimson had figured it out quicker than the others. Walking over to the obstacle course that consisted of multiple platforms and jungle gym structures Roane and Crimson began to run the course.

"I don't want to mess up the team's stability. We both know what happened when Orpheus confessed to Malyganya." Roane stated.

"Orpheus isn't you Roane. He couldn't control his emotions and they got the better of him. His affections were a distraction, yours are just an inconvenience." Crimson spoke.

Roane laughed as he began to cross a tight rope.

"Aren't those two things usually the same to you?" he asked his teammate.

Crimson was silent as he crossed the tightrope on his hands.

"Show-off." Roane accused jokingly when Crimson made it to the landing.

"A distraction and an inconvenience are usually the same, yes but not in your case. You don't let the way you feel about him cloud your judgement. When you guys spar you treat him the same as anyone else. I say it is an inconvenience because you're holding yourself back." Crimson elaborated as he and Roane continued to run the course.

"That's probably true but no one is hurt either way and I'm fine with us just being friends. It's not like he's made any indication that plays for the same team I do. We certainly know he plays for the other team though." Roane joked.

"Unfortunately that is the case. I doubt one rejection would be enough to cause him to change sides but you'll never know unless you put yourself out there." Crimson commented as they got to the monkey bar section of the course.

"Hey, there is a silent rule I think everyone follows. 'don't ask, don't tell'" Roane said as he struggled to hold his grip on the bar.

"Here's a thought then, why not ask one of the other guys in the academy then. I've seen how some of them look at you so if you need help then I can float the word around." Crimson offered.

Roane laughed once more as he finished the course and shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, if it'll get you off my back for a few days go for it." He stated.

Crimson nodded silently and ran off before Roane could do anything else. Roane watched Crimson run off and sighed. Sliding down the rope that connected the platform to the ground Roan made is way over to Jett and Orpheus.

"Yo Graniteman, what is up?" Jett asked once he noticed Roane.

The two high fived before Roane answered.

"Not much Jett. Crimson and I just finished up on the obstacle course." Roane answered.

"Yea I noticed him running off. Where's he going?" Orpheus asked. The young man was sweating heavily after the workout he and Jett had done. Orpheus wasn't the most muscled or extremely fit of their group. He was determined however to make himself better and tried to run everyone's training regime whenever they teamed up with him.

To his credit Orpheus was actually able to finish each time even if he didn't keep up. Roane admired that about his leader. He made sure to congratulate Orpheus after each session just to keep the young man motivated.

"He's going to find me a date. He thinks I need one cause my feelings for someone are an inconvenience." Roane answered.

Jett whistled and began to jab at Roane with his elbow.

"You dog you. I see you talking with girls all the time. There's no way you don't have a girlfriend already." Jett stated with a wolfish grin.

Orpheus sighed and shook his head.

"Jett there are plenty of ways he might not have one." Orpheus stated.

"If he is having Crimson find him a date, then obviously he's shy." Orpheus continued as he and his team began to leave the training field.

"Hold on, I'm not making Crimson do anything. He offered to do this." Roane clarified.

Jett laughed sarcastically and threw his arm over Roane's shoulder.

"Roane, it's cool you want to defend the guy and all but trust us we know the truth. Crimson may not be as much as a prick as he was when we first met but he wouldn't go around doing favors like this for anyone." Jett spoke.

Roane shook his head and smiled softly.

"You're wrong Jett. You just have to give him a chance. You'll see Crimson is a lot like us. He's got his own dreams and goals to reach just like you, me, and Orpheus." Roane told his friend.

Jett merely snickered and opened the door to the locker room.

"Whatever you say man. If you want him to do this for you then I won't but in but I still don't believe you could be single after all the girls that I have seen you talk to." Jett said.

As the words left his mouth however something inside Jett's mind clicked.

"Wait a minute, you said Crimson was going to find you a date right?" Jett asked.

"Yes, I did." Roane answered.

"You also said you had feelings for someone." Jett stated.

"Right again, what are you getting at?" Roane asked.

"I can't believe it took me this long to notice it or figure it out. You talk to girls easily enough but you don't have a girlfriend and now you have Crimson looking for a date for you." Jett continued as if he hadn't heard Roane.

"Jett, don't." Orpheus warned.

Jett turned and looked Roane in the eye. Their gazes locked and Roane took a slight step back.

"Roane, are you gay?" Jett asked seriously.

The locker room was by no means empty and Team ORCJ was by no means alone. The people in the immediate vicinity who had heard Jett's question became quiet and turned their attention to the group of boys in question.

Roane had never shied away from his sexuality. The question itself was one he had answered plenty of times already. Smiling brightly Roane looked at both Jett and Orpheus.

"Yes, yes I am Jett. I am gay." He replied simply.

The boys and girls who had overheard his answer instantly erupted with mixed emotions. Roane heard slurs thrown his way and congratulations for coming out but they didn't matter as he waited for the reaction from his teammates.

Orpheus shook his head and looked at Roane with a mixture of worry and sadness. Jett continued to look at Roane before smiling broadly.

"Dude, that is bad ass!" Jett exclaimed loudly before forcibly giving Roane a high five.

"I don't see how that is true, but ok." Roane answered half-confused and half-sheepishly.

"Dude you'll make the perfect wingman for me. Girls either always have that one gay-friend or one girlfriend with them. This way you can take either one without major consequence." Jett continued as the trio made their way to their lockers. Orpheus split off from the other two to head to the leader's area.

"You don't think it's odd that I'm gay?" Roane asked as he and Jett began to change.

"Why would I think that?" Jett asked with genuine confusion.

"It's not my place to judge someone based off their sexual preference. I, myself am bisexual so it'd kind of be hypocritical to scorn you for being yourself." Jett continued.

"Wait, hold on you're bisexual?" Roane asked.

"Yes I am; does that surprise you?" Jett counter questioned.

"Only a little. I've only ever seen you hit on girls so I just assumed you were hetero." Roane answered.

"Yea, it's a little hard for me to tell what guys may or may not be gay and/or bisexual so I stick with the safest route." Jett elaborated.

The two teammates went to the shower area together and continued their conversation there.

"When did you realize you were gay?" Jett asked

"I've always known it. I suppose I 'came out' when I was really young." Roane answered.

"How did your parents take it?" Jett questioned.

"Not as well as I would have hoped but it was fine. My grandmother took care of me. She didn't care and accepted me for who I was. What about you? When did you know you were bi?" Roane spoke.

"Hmmm, I suppose I knew it during my pre-academy days. One of my friends was gay and he kissed me while confessing. I kissed him back and told him that while I thought he as attractive and stuff, I just didn't have the same feelings for him. Ended up dating his female cousin a few weeks later." Jett answered.

"Did you ever get any grief about it growing up?" Roane asked.

"Nah, I may not have been in the closet but it's not like I was going around trying to bed every guy and girl in the world. I just took my life in stride. Whatever came my way, happened and that was that." Jett replied.

Roane laughed at Jett's response and smiled.

"I've always admired that devil-may-die attitude of yours Jett." Roane stated.

"Yea I know I'm awesome." Jett said back with a cheeky smile.

As the two finished showering they suddenly noticed that the shower area was empty.

"Oh shit, I've got a bad feeling about this." Jett stated as he looked around.

"Yea well you did ask me in the middle of the locker room. Seriously Jett you have zero tact." Roane stated with a simple smile.

"Sorry man, but once it came to mind I just had to ask." Jett apologized scratching the back of his head.

Roane shrugged and smiled.

"It's alright Jett. I've gone through this plenty of times before and it was only a matter of time before it got out so might as well deal with it now." Roane stated as he grabbed his towel and dried his body. Jett followed suit and once they were done, both wrapped the cloths around their waists.

"You take the ones on the left, I'll take the ones on the right." Roane told Jett as they bumped fists.

"Let's rock it."

* * *

A/N: Revelations! Not much to say after a chapter like that. I think it came out well and still let the story flow, if you don't then drop a review and tell me why your mad :P


	23. Chapter XXII

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XXII: Subject Gamma Thirty-Three

 _Unknown Laboratory_

A figure walked from one table to another carrying a tray of chemicals. They began mixing various chemicals together and recorded the reactions in a notepad. The door to the laboratory opened and in walked a hulking figure that was covered in obsidian black armor.

"Magress, you know I hate to be disturbed when I'm working in my lab." The first figure, a man spoke as he continued his work.

"Lance, you have been stuck in here for days. The other members of the Obumbrata Lux Consilium are starting to worry." The figure named Magress spoke.

His voice was cold a reverberated within the helmet he wore. Magress stood almost eight feet tall. His physique was that of a heavily muscled giant. It was easy to tell that Magress was a warrior of high caliber from the way he carried himself. The armored man strode into Lance's lab but was careful not to disturb any of the equipment.

"Let them worry. My work is too important for me to stop every time someone needs something." Lance said.

Lance, when compared to Magress wasn't anything special. He stood at an average height of maybe five and a half to six feet. His hair was dark forest green as were his eyes. He was currently dressed in a simple white lab coat with black pants and shoes.

"You must understand their apprehension of things. Lance they haven't forgotten about your disastrous experiments from before." Magress spoke calmly.

"I don't give a damn about their opinions about my work. Do not forget that we are at war!" Lance exclaimed turning to face Magress.

"We are in a fight with a malevolent force for the very survival of our species. I feel that time and time again I must remind you that is an undeniable and may I say a fundamental quality of man that when face with extinction every alternative is preferable!" Lance continued.

As Lance spoke plants had begun to grow out of his body. The scientist glared at Magress breathing heavily. Magress just stared silently at Lance through his helmet's visor.

"With all the experimentation you've done on your own body can you even call yourself a man anymore?" Magress asked.

"Get out." Lance spoke with a deadly venom lacing his voice.

"The others will want an update on Subject Gamma Thirty-three. Don't keep them waiting too long." Magress stated as he turned to leave.

"Is that a threat Magress?" Lance asked as the plants receded back into his body.

"Let's just call it a friendly warning, brother."

 _Valethornia Academy_

The headmistress looked at the young men and women in front of her. She was livid. Everyone in the room could feel it. They didn't know what was going to happen but they knew it wouldn't be good.

"Disgraceful. You all bring shame upon this academy." The older woman spoke.

"I was young once like you all so I can understand a little tomfoolery. You however have taken your antics to the next level. Hate crimes against your fellow cadets because of their physical features, gender recognition, disabilities, sexual orientation, and worse petty jealousy." The headmistress told them.

It hadn't even been a full month since classes started but already the academy was undergoing renovations. Lavi Southwark sighed and looked around at the student body. The entire academy was currently in the facilities largest auditorium. Their headmistress was giving them a lecture of the recent outbreak of hate crimes that had broken out over the past week.

From what Lavi had heard, many of her friends had been targeted. Roane and Jett from Team ORCJ were ambushed in the locker rooms. Mini from Team JSMN had been drugged, stripped and hung over the main gates of the academy. Taz argent had been on the receiving end of an anti-faunus attack alongside other faunus students.

It infuriated Lavi just how horrible everyone was being to one another. Lavi was an orphan who had been adopted by a loving faunus couple. She knew from an early age that she was different from her parents but it didn't bother her. They cared for her and raised her with loving discipline.

The values she learned had shaped Lavi into the caring young woman she was. When she heard about how frequent the attacks had become it made her cry. Lavi knew that humans were capable of great acts of violence but from the few human friends she had also knew that were capable of great acts of kindness.

The young woman looked to her left and saw her teammate Roanos Stormcloud sitting in his chair with an angry expression on his face. She didn't know why she was attracted to him but she could sense a deep pain within the young man. She wanted to help him even though every instinct told her to stay away.

Over the past month the two of them had gotten steadily closer to one another, at least that's what Lavi believed. Roanos had shared very little about himself to her. She knew his name and his age. She knew that like her Roanos was an orphan. Roanos had told her since the time he could speak he had done nothing but train. Fighting was all he knew and all he recognized within the world.

As the headmistress continued to call the students out on their behavior Lavi tried to get Roanos's attention. Taking out a lighter, Lavi flicked a small fire to life. She used her semblance to move the flame over to Roanos. The young man in question saw the fire immediately as it came into his vicinity. Lavi had been careful enough to avoid other student so as not to cause a panic.

Roanos looked over at Lavi with a blank stare. Lavi smiled as she started her prank. Moving the flame underneath the seat of someone nearby Lavi increased its size and heat with her power. Seconds later the painful yelp of the seat's occupant interrupted their headmistress talk.

Lavi wasn't usually one to prank another but she knew Roanos enjoyed senseless violence. She had to show him that she was approachable in some degree so that she could go about fixing him. Looking to Roanos she saw the young man with an extremely rare smile on his face, albeit a small one. Pumping her fist back in silent victory Lavi turned back to the headmistress and began to pay attention to what was being said.

The entire lecture lasted almost two full hours but when it was done the students were released to a free day. Lavi immediately sought out Roanos. This would be the perfect opportunity to get close to him. As the various students began to separate to do their own thing Lavi pulled out her scroll and sent a ping to Roanos.

He pinged her back with his location which caused Lavi to beeline straight for it. Upon arrival she saw Roanos and Fenrir leaning against the wall with bored expressions.

"Roanos, how are you?" Lavi asked as she approached.

Roanos merely shrugged in response.

"What is it you want from me?" Roanos suddenly asked catching Lavi off guard.

"Want from you? What do you mean?" Lavi questioned as she stalled for time.

"You don't think I haven't noticed? You've been trying to get close to me for a while now. That stunt in the auditorium was for my sake as well. So what is it that you want?" Roanos repeated his question as he pinned Lavi to the wall.

"We're teammates Roanos, do I have to want something?" Lavi dodged answering his inquiry.

"I'm not like the others Lavi. Don't mistake yourself into believing that I am." Roanos said.

"I don't believe that. I know you want to be better. I can sense a longing in your heart. Everyone needs a friend Roanos." Lavi stated.

Roanos snickered and put his face close to Lavi's. The two teammates started in one another's eyes for countless seconds. At first Lavi didn't realize it had happened but suddenly she felt something squirming and swimming around in her mouth. While she had been lost in Roanos's gaze the young man had stolen a kiss from her lips.

Lavi reacted with her first instinct and bit down on his tongue sharply. Pulling back Roanos smirked evilly at Lavi as his tongue bled slightly.

"Having a friend just means you have someone with a knife at your back. Not everyone needs a friend and not everyone wants one. Remember that before you start spouting bullshit. Let's go Fenrir." Roanos said with finality as he and his companion left Lavi alone.

The young woman released the breath she had subconsciously been holding and slid to the ground. Pulling her knees to her chest Lavi thought about all the humans she had encountered since her adoptive parents' murder. They had been killed racist human who thought Lavi was kidnapped. During the fight Lavi was able to kill one of the murderers in a fit of rage.

She was however still a child and easily overpowered. Being brought to an orphanage for human children Lavi lived with the very creatures that had killed her family. At first the anger towards humans extended to all of them but as she lived at the orphanage Lavi made friends with the other human children and saw that not all of them were bad.

Lavi had always trusted her instincts but the more they told her to stay away from Roanos the more she felt she had to get close to him. Lavi sighed and stood up dusting her skirt off. She wouldn't be deterred from her mission to help her teammate and smiled to herself with renewed hope that she would break through to the young man.

 _Valethornia Academy Room 132B_

Roanos sat on his bed with his scroll in hand. He was reading an article when a call came through. Seeing the number, he activated an application on the device before answering.

"Shadowfox this is Mariudeath, go for secure line do you copy?" a scrambled voice spoke to Roanos.

"Mariudeath this is Shadowfox, line is secure go ahead over." Roanos answered

"Shadowfox, we have just received intel that Blind-Knight has initiated two operations at your mission location." The voice recognized as Mariudeath stated.

"Mariudeath, I can confirm that only one operation is in affect at the moment. It has been for almost a week and a half now. It doesn't affect my primary objective however." Roanos told his handler.

"Regarding your mission, how goes the acquisition of Subject Gamma Thirty-three?" Mariudeath asked.

"Everything is going well. I'd like permission to speed up the process however. I feel as though the rate that was given to me is too slow given the fact that Operation: Burning Arrow is now in effect." Roanos stated.

"Permission granted Shadowfox. I don't need to remind you that this acquisition is your primary objective and that-" Mariudeath began.

"No Mariudeath, you don't need to remind me of anything." Roanos interrupted "I'll follow the mission parameters and acquire the Subject in necessary time."

"Very well then Shadowfox, if you have nothing more to update us on then we'll be cutting the line. Good luck agent." Mariudeath stated before cutting the call.

Roanos lowered his scroll and clenched his teeth in anger. He hated the fact that the identities of the other agents within the academy were kept from him. Sable had told him that anything he needed to know would be told to him. The entire experience had been humbling which infuriated the young man further. Since his rapid ascension in the ranks of the Schatten Roanos had gotten the idea that he was a pillar within Lucidiores Umbras but now he was facing the reality that he was just another soldier in the organization.

Sighing loudly Roanos closed his eyes and relaxed. For now, he would play their game. He'd take everything Sable and the Consilium threw at him and in time he would rise from it all stronger before taking control of everything.

* * *

A/N: Short chapter yes but this is all foundation for greater things down the road.


	24. Chapter XXIII

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XXIII: To Be A Soldier

 _Iselia Forest_

The cool night air blew through the trees, rustling their leaves. The moon shone over the entire forest in the cloudless sky. In a clearing stood a lone figure, arms crossed and head bowed. It was a man dressed only in shorts with bracers and greaves equipped to him.

A black blindfold covered the man's eyes but it was easy to tell that the loss of sight wasn't a handicap to him. He didn't stand like one who was disabled. He wasn't physically built like one who needed assistance to live. This man was a fighter and everything about him showed it.

Suddenly from the trees various projectiles flew. The man's body went into action. With swift fluid motions he dodged most of the projectiles while catching others in his hands. When the attack subsided the man held various throwing knives and stars between his fingers while others lay stuck in the ground.

"You know this won't work on me. You are by definition insane." The man spoke with a playful tone in his voice.

A new figure appeared from the shadow of the forest walking into the clearing. It was a young teenage boy. He was dressed in loose fitting black pants made of flexible materials with twin white streaks running down the front and back. The pants were strapped near the ankle by the warrior's obi sandals. Wrapped around his waist was a black cloth belt with a golden skull for the buckle. His top was an open-chested long-sleeved jacket made from the same flexible material as his pants.

"Professor Tenebrous, today is the day I defeat you." The young man spoke as he drew his weapons, a pair of twin swords from the cross-scabbards on his back.

"Crimson Carmine, you are certainly the most persistent individual I have ever met." The man answered back.

"You didn't deny being Tenebrous Tauron." Crimson stated as he and his opponent began to circle one another.

"What would be the point, you already know who I am. Let's just say my identity isn't the most well-kept secret." Tenebrous spoke back as he readied himself for combat.

Crimson moved first and charged the older fighter. Swinging his left-sword the young huntsman-in-training tried to catch his target off-guard. Tenebrous blocked the strike against his bracer and countered with a swift straight to Crimson's face.

The counter-attack missed by a mere hair's breadth as Crimson narrowly avoided the strike. Tenebrous smiled and quickly followed up his attack with a kick. Crimson stuck his right sword into the ground and used the flat of the blade to block the kick before vaulting upwards and kicking Tenebrous in the chest with both feet.

The instructor grunted as he was pushed back from the attack but Crimson wouldn't let up. As he landed from his kick the teenage swordsman spun with the forward momentum while swinging his left sword in an arc downward. The attack was deflected off one of Tenebrous's bracers once more but it didn't stop the stream of attacks.

Swinging the right blade Crimson followed up the attack on the same side. His opponent blocked once more but this time Crimson kicked out at Tenebrous's exposed chest and once again the older fighter was taken back. Fusing his swords together into the weapons massive blade form Crimson swung the weapon and managed to actually strike Tenebrous with a clean hit.

His target was sent flying backwards from the blow but quickly recovered. Rubbing his abdomen where he had been struck Tenebrous chuckled audibly.

"You've improved a lot since our first fight Crimson." Tenebrous commented.

Crimson was silent as he put his weapon back into its dual sword form. This was the ninth time Crimson had challenged Tenebrous to single combat since the second trial at the start of the term. The first time had been an accident, the two had met one night during Crimson's solo training and immediately the teenager had attacked.

He lost spectacularly but had since then made it his own personal mission to find Tenebrous each night and fight him. Unknown to Crimson, Tenebrous had sought him out of his own accord. The instructor had taking a liking to the young man after seeing Crimson's growth with Team ORCJ. They were only in the second week of the second month since the term started but already Tenebrous had noticed the small changes in Crimson.

These one on one sessions were his way of training the young man without ever having to say anything. Crimson learned from his mistakes in combat. Each fight made him a bit stronger, a bit faster, a bit more experienced. In turn Crimson passed along this experience to his team as he applied strategies to their formations and attack patterns

"I'll only keep getting better until I surpass you." Crimson stated.

"Really only until you've surpassed me? That seems like a pretty short-sighted goal." Tenebrous shot back with a taunting smile.

Crimson growled and charged once more. Before the taunt would have made his attacks wild and predictable but now all they did was anger the young man. Crimson kept his cool and was able to think while enraged. The extra adrenaline from his heightened emotion was combined with his prodigious mind for combat.

This made the young man an even more efficient fighter. Tenebrous knew that he was molding a soldier and while some part of him was sad that Crimson would probably die young fighting, there was another part of him that was filled with pride at his pupil's growth. Tenebrous met Crimson's charge with his own.

The two clashed near the center of the clearing. Tenebrous blocked three of Crimson's strikes and countered with two quick punches to the teenager's stomach and face. Crimson was able to hold his ground after the blows and attacked faster than before.

His speed and accuracy remained steady as he struck Tenebrous on the arm, across the chest, and across the thigh with a crisscross of attacks. Jumping into the air Crimson spun and kicked out at Tenebrous The attack was predictable and sloppy. Tenebrous caught Crimson's foot with ease and prepared to counter.

Crimson had been counting on this and slammed his free leg downwards. The crescent axe heel kick smashed onto Crimson's shoulder with so much force it caused the man to release Crimson and fall to one knee. As he hung suspended in the air Crimson's mind raced with the possible combinations he could pull off with this opening.

Deciding on one the teenager went into action. His kick had carried enough force to pendulum backwards and straighten his body so that he was in a standing position in mid-air. Bringing both blades down in a x-shaped attack across Tenebrous's chest Crimson began flowing from one strike to the next with his blades dancing across every area they could reach.

From his initial strike Crimson landed on the ground and swung both blades in a horizontal slash. He spun from the attack and raised the blades into the air before slashing diagonally downwards from the right to left. Combining the weapons into their massive blade form Crimson struck Tenebrous with the pommel of the weapon before slashing twice from left to right. From the second slash Crimson stabbed his weapon downwards in a diagonal strike before pushing forward and slamming the entire flat of his weapon into Tenebrous.

The older man was pushed backwards and fell to the ground before sliding back a few feet. Crimson tried to keep up the momentum of his attacks as he switched his weapon into its third and final form, the scythe. As he struck out with the weapon however Tenebrous recovered.

Catching the scythe by its shaft the blind fighter pulled Crimson towards him before unleashing a devastating combination of strikes. He began with a right straight to the jaw, followed by an open palmed left strike to the chest. With a quick flick of the wrist Tenebrous struck Crimson with the back of his left hand, dazing the young man.

With his torso exposed Crimson was defenseless against the next session of hits. First Tenebrous struck with a devastating body blow with his right fist. A left handed smash caught Crimson in the ribs before Tenebrous closed in with a short uppercut to the abdomen. As Crimson doubled over from the attack Tenebrous jumped forwards with a flying knee to the young man's face.

Snapping back into an upright position Crimson was now a primed for the finishing strikes. As he landed Tenebrous gathered energy around his entire body and focused it into his limbs. He let loose a flurry of punches to Crimson's face and torso before finishing with a destructive roundhouse kick to his opponents face.

As Crimson fell, unconscious from the damage, Tenebrous could sense just the faintest speck of pride emanating from the young man. After a few seconds it became apparent why. Pain, the least familiar of sensations to Tenebrous. His final attack had one flaw, which Crimson had exploited.

Tenebrous had focused his aura away from his body and into his limbs to increase his striking power. Crimson's weapon in its scythe form had pierced through Tenebrous's lowered defenses and now hung out the man's back between the spine and left shoulder. Reaching behind his body Tenebrous grabbed the weapon by its handle and with a pained grunt removed it.

"Congratulations Crimson, you've finally got that hit you wanted." Tenebrous spoke to the unconscious young man laying down. Crimson was unaware of it but beneath his scarf he was smiling. He hadn't really expected to win but it was enough to know that he had made Tenebrous bleed.

Tenebrous's dragon tattoo glowed soft green as the wound on his back healed itself, leaving no trace that he had even been hurt. Tenebrous knew why Crimson trained so hard. He knew about the first year student's rankings and the recent upset that had occurred. While Crimson would never come out and admit it, he had pride in his skills and could even be a bit vain about his abilities.

"Crimson, i'm going to take you on a little field trip." Tenebrous spoke to the unconscious teen before lifting Crimson onto his shoulders. Walking farther into the forest the Instructor disappeared into the trees without a trace.

 _City of Johannesburg_

As the downtown area of Johannesburg burned various men and women in military attire watched the flames with pride. One of the men was old, easily in his late fifties or early sixties but stood strong. There was a long scar running over his left eye. The eyeball itself was dull white, blinded by the attack which gave him his scar. A woman came running up to him with four others following.

"Corporal Lionheart reporting as ordered sir!" the woman exclaimed as she snapped to attention.

"At ease soldier." The man spoke. His voice was ruff and dry but held within it authority and power. He looked at the corporal with his one good eye, it was bright blue and shimmered.

"How goes our attack on the other sectors of the city?" the man asked.

"Sectors four and five are completely under our control. Sectors one through three have been destroyed. The remaining sectors are still embroiled in conflict." Lionheart answered.

The man began to walk as the other soldiers under his command dispersed. "The government has all but abandoned this city much like they abandoned us soldiers." The man spoke.

"Sir, we will make them see the error of their ways sir!" Lionheart exclaimed while thumping the breastplate of her armor.

The man at her enthusiasm. Getting into a nearby car he looked at the corporal and the men that she had brought.

"Corporal the mission I have for you is of the utmost importance. I feel I must warn you that your chances of survival borderline zero percent. Will you accept knowing the risks?" he asked.

"Sir, you needn't ask me that. You know me and my men are up to any task. Give us the order and we will carry it out without delay." Lionheart answered.

The man smiled once more and pulled out a large envelope.

"The details are inside. Know that there are only two outcomes for this, victory or death." The man stated before signaling his driver to leave.

Lionheart opened the envelope and began to read the mission outline. Smiling to herself the woman took out a match and burned the papers before turning to her squad.

"So corporal, we heading out again?" one of the men asked. He was dressed from head to toe in combat armor.

"Yes, we are. Come on boys it's time to show this kingdom what happens when you are targeted by the Bleeding Hand's number one fireteam, The Kamikaze Five."

* * *

A/N: Yes the chapters are still short but look on the bright side, you got two updates this week.


	25. Chapter XXIV

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XXIV: Licht v Schatten

A/N: Yes, you guys get a double back to back update for the week. Rejoice because after this chapter things will get nitty, gritty, and dark. Enjoy :)

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy – Trials Room_

Sable looked over the report that had been given to her. So far her team's ranking had been steadily improving. Because of their mixed grading of first years and a second year they were ranked on both levels. Within the first year sector they were currently tied for second place with Team ORCJ for the doubles and team battles. Roanos had taken Malyganya from the top of the leaderboard in singles after he defeated Layla Yuki.

Sable wasn't actually able to witness the fight live but after seeing the video of the match she was actually impressed. Not only was Layla able to hold her own against Roanos, but she actually gave him a run for his money. Granted Roanos was unable to use both his semblance and primary weapon for the fight which severely crippled his combat capabilities.

The fight had been a five round set with each combatant taking two victories. During the final bout Roanos gained the upper hand early on with his size and reach. Yuki managed to get in a few hits but nothing that would turn the tide of battle in her favor. In the end she was knocked out and dropped to rank five. Viridian had risen to rank eleven and Lavi was currently rank nine.

Sable closed the update and her scroll and began to type away at her personal terminal. After typing in a string of commands the screen went black.

 **UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO THE LIGHT!**

The words flashed on her screen repeatedly. Sable merely began typing once more. After finishing another string of commands the flashing text disappeared and was replaced with a new message.

 **SISTER OF LIGHT YOUR DARK FATHER WELCOMES YOU TO HIS ETERNAL EMBRACE.**

Sable attached a headset to her terminal as she waited for the line to connect. After a few seconds a hooded figure appeared on the screen.

"Father Vargas, Operation: White Dagger is proceeding as scheduled. Grim activity around the capitol city has increased by twelve percent in the past two weeks. They have even started to send some of us out to shadow professional huntsmen and huntresses." Sable spoke into her receiver.

"Excellent Sable, it seems Lady Atra choose her agent well. Your primary objective how goes the conversion of Subject Delta Twenty-two." Vargas asked. His voice was crisp and clear. He sounded young but strong.

"I believe we are ahead of schedule on that front. I make as much time as I can to single out Subject Delta for one on one training exercises. He seems to be responding well to the treatment." Sable answered.

"His power is extraordinary. The implants that were given to him have allowed us to accurately measure his potential output. He could be the Licht's key to gaining dominance with Lucidiores Umbras." Vargas smiled as he spoke

"Sir regarding the Schatten presence here, I have yet to figure out who his assassination target is. He hasn't made a move on anyone at all and seems to actually be following protocol." Sable reported.

Vargas laughed and pulled his hood down, revealing his full face. He was extraordinarily handsome; his face angular with a strong jaw. The man had bright orange-red hair with two fox-ears sticking off the sides identifying him as a faunus.

"Sable, what in the world are you thinking? Why would the Schatten dog be there for assassination?" The man asked with laughter in his voice.

"He is Schatten, isn't that reason enough?" Sable asked, confused at her leaders reaction.

"The Schatten have sent their agents to do the exact same thing we Licht have. They're looking for a new weapon to further their power within the organization. This is a race to see who will acquire the best power to further our goals." Vargas explained.

"Whomever Roanos is targeting, he is being especially careful not to show any signs of interference with them. If the opportunity should arise should I attempt to convert the Schatten target as well?" Sable asked.

"If the opportunity should arise, then yes go for it but do not place yourself in an unnecessary spotlight. It is still too early for us to be making big moves. With Operation: Burning Arrow in effect as well things will begin to get loud around the country. Keep your head down and your ears open Sable." Vargas instructed.

"Yes sir, Father Vargas." Sable acknowledged as she closed her eyes and bowed her head to Vargas slightly.

Vargas terminated the call and Sable removed her headset. She knew that converting her target was her primary goal. The thought of gaining two weapons for the Licht brought unprecedented amounts of happiness to her. She would covertly keep track of Roanos and his movements whenever time permitted find his target and steal it right from under his nose.

Smiling to herself and the righteous light her actions would bring saving an innocent soul from the Schatten Sable closed down her terminal and headed out the room to continue her mission.

 _Valethornia Gym_

The first year students could hardly contain themselves. This was the match they had all been waiting for. Many of them had dreamed up the fight but now it was becoming a reality. The top two first year students were going to face off against one another, with their semblances allowed.

Ever since Roanos had bumped Malyganya down a rank everyone wanted to know if she would ever regain her standing. After defending second place against Crimson, Malyganya had issued a challenge to Roanos. She allowed him to pick the conditions for the match.

Now was their appointed time to fight. Malyganya knew what she was up against. She knew Roanos knew what he was up against. He could have given the condition of full equipment but decided only for them to have access to their semblances. He wanted to win without the use of Fenrir.

The question had always plagued the young man, was he as powerful as he was because of the boost Fenrir gave him or was he naturally a gifted fighter. Once and for all his question would be answered. The large teenager climbed into up onto the ring and stood silently as his challenger approached.

Malyganya had a look of determination on her face that spoke volumes of the confidence she had in herself. She stood at the opposite end of the ring for a few moments before walking towards the center. Roanos followed suit and soon the two rivals were only half a foot away from one another.

"Das Licht Hündin hat beschlossen, den dunklen Hund von Chaos zu Angesicht" Roanos spoke, glaring down at Malyganya.

"Dunkle Hund von Chaos, Sie waren immer die dramatische Roanos." Malyganya replied using the same language.

The spectators looked between the two combatants with confusion.

"What language is that?" one person asked.

"They both speak it, does that mean they grew up in the same place?" another voice questioned.

"This is so fucking cool. Two warriors speaking a foreign language about to fight." A girl's voice squealed.

"Roanos is suuuuch a dream boat." Another girl cried out.

"Malyganya is going to kick his ass. Besides she is way prettier than he is." A male voice shouted.

Even as the spectators riled themselves up with their opinion of the better fighter, Roanos and Malyganya both drowned out the noise from their jeers and shouts. All they focused on were each other. One of the instructors walked up and stood in the ring before going over the rules.

"This will be best of three round match. The conditions set are that only hand to hand combat and use of semblances are allowed. Fighters will continue until the end of a round or the match is stopped by an instructor. Now I want you two to keep it nice and clean. Gauge your Aura levels and don't be afraid to call it quits should you feel yourself in danger." The woman told them looking first from Roanos to Malyganya.

The air became dense as they both began to release their Auras. The malevolent flaming violet-obsidian hue of Malyganya clashed against Roanos dripping and oozing blackish purple. Malyganya's eyes transformed to their pitch black state while Roanos' eyes glowed purple.

"Fight!" The instructor exclaimed as she jumped backwards off the mat.

The two combatants took no hesitation in doing so. Striking out with their fist both Malyganya and Roanos punched each other with the full force of their abilities

The resounding shockwave sent everyone around them flying backwards. Immediately alarms went off as various safety measures went into effect. The first safety measure was a pillared force field that surrounded the ring locking both Malyganya and Roanos inside while also containing their immense power. The second line of defense was the gymnasium splitting apart with the ring in the center as the floor receded away. The students who were spectating immediately ran back to avoid falling into the hole that separated the arena from them.

Within the ring Malyganya and Roanos stood with their fist on the other's cheek. Both students were grinning and neither refused to budge. It was Roanos who took the initiative and pushed out against Malyganya. His target was smaller and physically weaker than he was but she had augmented herself with psychokinetic energy which now put them on a near even playing field.

Striking out Roanos caught Malyganya with a swift left right combo to the face before smashing his fist into her stomach and lifting the small young woman off the ground. Malyganya however wasn't about to let herself be thrown. Grabbing onto Roanos's forearm the young psychic twirled her body over his limb while kicking at his face and upper torso.

Each impact was magnified by the psychic energies Malyganya was covered in. Roanos staggered back but quickly recovered and delivered a punishing blow to the side of Malyganya's face. She hit the mat, hard and bounced into the air with a sharp cry of pain. Grabbing Malyganya by her ankle Roanos slammed the teenage huntress-in-training around in a circle that circumferenced his body.

Malyganya guarded her body throughout the assault while gathering latent energies in the air. Once she had accumulated enough particles she began to condense tighter and tighter. Before long she had formed a sphere of pure dense matter using her telekinesis Malyganya slammed the orb into Roanos. She was flung off to the side and hit the force field which kept them contained. The energy field reflected her back into the ring with surprising force.

The sphere of matter dropped as Malyganya lost control of it. She and Roanos both got to their feet and steadied themselves. No words were spoken. No words needed to be spoken. They charged one another and let out battle cries in unison.

Malyganya struck first with a left hook followed by a right hook before finishing with a left cross. Roanos took the blows but paid back in kind. He punched Malyganya, square in the face and followed up with a kick to her side before swiftly kicking at her with the opposite foot and connecting it to the side of her head.

Malyganya stumbled but refused to fall as she rushed in. This time electricity jumped from her as she began to manipulate the electrons in the air. She enhanced the static electricity around them and began to fling bolts of energy at Roanos. The large man released a surge of his dark Aura which literally swallowed Malyganya's attack.

Clenching her teeth in frustration Malyganya rushed in and began to beat on Roanos with electrically charged hits. Roanos' Aura swirled around, as if it was sentient and began to block the arcing trails of electricity that threatened to envelope him. For each strike Malyganya made Roanos landed one of his own. For each bolt of lightning that struck the sentient aura delivered a strike of its own.

The two combatants continued to brawl and for them time lost all meaning. At this point neither one of them cared about the leaderboard. This was personal. Everything that they had held onto in their past, everything that they had bottled up from their failures, and everything that threatened to rip them apart because they just couldn't contain it was released in the raw primal fury of combat.

Roanos roared and slammed his knee into Malyganya's face. She didn't flinch as a torrent of flame erupted from her palms. The fire engulfed Roanos's body. He tried to protect himself with his aura but the blinding light of the flames made the dark aura shrink from the glow. Filling a telekinetic sphere with different energies Malyganya fired the orb at Roanos.

The explosion was so great that Malyganya had to shield her eyes. When everything died down Malyganya moved her hands away and saw Roanos charging her. She didn't have time to react as he lifted her off the ground and tackled her body into the energy field. They were both thrown back by the force and tumbled over one another as they fought for control. Roanos's slightly superior strength won out in the in as he mounted Malyganya's small and lithe form. Malyganya immediately brought her arms together and began to block the onslaught of blows Roanos brought to bear upon her.

Grabbing Malyganya's arms Roanos ripped apart her guard and tried to pin both limbs with one of his hands. Malyganya attacked with telekinetic strikes. These invisible blows forced Roanos to roll off of Malyganya lest he take too much damage. Once Malyganya had driven Roanos a safe distance away she stopped her attack and fell to one knee.

Her brain was throbbing painfully in her skull from excessive use of psychic abilities. She could feel her aura was already half depleted. Roanos looked no better than she did. His skin was patch-worked with burn marks from the fire and lightning attacks. There was bruising from melee they clashed with and his Aura was also low. It didn't ooze and move around as much. Roanos was nearing his limit for semblance use just as she was.

Roanos looked at Malyganya with pure hatred. Here she was standing toe to toe with him. His question had finally been answered, and he hated it. The one thing that made him better than Malyganya was Fenrir, not his own skills but he wouldn't stop now. Not when there was still fight left in his body. They may be fighting on even footing but she hadn't beaten him, there was still a chance that his skills were genuine and not left up to the boost from his weapon.

Roanos took a gamble and began to release even more of his power. His Aura grew back to its original size and began to slither about erratically. Malyganya saw her opponents power surge and smirked to herself. Clenching her fists the young woman cried out before an explosion of power erupted from her body. In her left hand Malyganya carried a silver-white orb while the right hand held a dark violet-black orb.

She knew that this ability was her trump card. She knew that if she failed to defeat Roanos soon he would overpower her and win but she also knew that Roanos's ability had a time limit as well. She had seen him use it before with Fenrir. She was certain without the symbiotic weapon to help regulate the flow of energy that Roanos's time in his empowered form would be severely cut. Everything would be determined within the next two minutes.

Roanos made the first move that would begin the climax of their battle. Sliding across the ground on his aura the large teen sent tendrils of energy rushing towards Malyganya. She guarded herself by making a telekinetic wall and countered by blasting Roanos with black lightning. Her attack was mostly absorbed and deflected by the tendrils but it didn't matter because Malyganya was already closing in for melee combat.

Sending her twin orbs of power to satellite around her body Malyganya began her attack. She punched right, the white orb blasted from the left with white fire. She kicked left and the black orb sent streams of lightning pouring forth. With each attack she the opposing orb followed up. Gone was her desire to guard as Roanos' counter attacks began to cut into her body.

Roanos felt the flames lick at his flesh and the lightning sting at his muscles but he pushed through the pain. Wrapping his hands in aura Roanos clawed out at Malyganya, he left deep laceration on her arms and torso. Felling his power suddenly begin to drop Roanos clenched his teeth in anger and leapt back a full step as he gathered the remainder of his energy and turned his aura into a spear while the rest was gathered into his free palm.

"SHADOW, DRINK HER ANGUISH!" Roanos exclaimed, the first words he had spoken since their battle started.

His spear stabbed into Malyganya's abdomen and began to draw her towards Roanos and the orb of energy in his free hand. Blood spurt out of Malyganya's mouth as she tried to clench and fight through the pain. As she was drawn closer Malyganya brought her two orbs together and forced them to merge.

"I know my course, and you are in my way." Malyganya spoke through gritted teeth as she came closer to Roanos.

"Licht. Schatten. Neither side is entirely right. That's why I choose to use them both." She continued this time speaking softly.

"Dichromatic Maelstrom!" Malyganya cried out as she and Roanos both slammed their orbs into one another.

* * *

A/N: And that's a wrap, so here is what I'm going to do. I will be impartial to the winner of this match by having a blind poll on my profile. You, the readers and fans will decide its outcome. I've already got a chapter written for either outcome and once the poll is closed I'll let the results be seen so no one can claim I did the story injustice.


	26. Chapter XXV

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XXV: Oh Brother, My Captain

A/N: OK so you guys can't be mad at me for the result of the fight. The poll was open on my profile page, which I mentioned in the previous chapter for you guys to vote and I'm basing the results on the poll. I had no control over how the poll ended. The poll is closed so you can check the results on my profile page yourself.

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy – Arena turned combat zone_

"SHADOW, DRINK HER ANGUISH!" Roanos exclaimed.

"DICHROMATIC MAELSTROM!" Malyganya replied in kind.

Both fighters attacked with orbs of energy. The orbs clashed with one another before exploding and enveloping Malyganya and Roanos in light.

 _Unknown Location_

" _Momma! Momma! Wake up Momma!" A loud high pitched young voice cried out._

 _Malyganya shot up out of her bed and reached to her side. Her sword, which she was never far without however wasn't on the ground. What her hand did grab was a soft plush wolf. Looking around she saw a small child currently sitting on her legs._

" _Yes?" Malyganya asked. Her voice was a bit deeper than she remembered._

" _Momma, James took my doll!" The girl cried as tears began to well up in her eyes._

" _James?" Malyganya voiced with confusion as she looked around. To her left standing in the doorway was another child, a boy. He looked as if he were a year or two older than the girl, obviously his sister from what Malyganya could tell._

" _James, you shouldn't take things that aren't yours. Give her back her doll." Malyganya commanded._

 _James looked down sheepishly with an embarrassed blush._

" _It's not fair. She took my wolf and got it taken away when she got into trouble. Now I get in trouble for using her doll, that's so unfair momma!" James exclaimed._

 _Malyganya remembered the wolf that she had picked up and looked at it. It seemed odd to her that a boy would be playing with a doll, but shaking the thought from her head held the doll out to James._

" _You can have it back but in the future be nicer to your sister." Malyganya spoke with an affectionate tone._

 _James nodded in silent agreement before walking over to the bed. He handed the girl her doll and accepted his from Malyganya before smiling up at Malyganya._

 _The boy's face was familiar; she didn't know who it reminded her of but in the back of her mind she could faintly remember meeting someone like James in the days of her youth._

 _James and his sister ran off together with bright smiles on their faces. Malyganya watched them exit the room before getting out of bed. At least she tried to. She was stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist._

 _Malyganya's combat instincts immediately kicked in and she attacked her captor with a kick to what she assumed was the stomach. This attack was foiled by the stranger catching Malyganya's foot with their free hand. Before Malyganya could continue to attack she was pulled underneath the sheets and kissed deeply._

 _Malyganya was surprised at first but her body reacted to the action and melted into the stranger's embrace. Opening her eyes to get a view of her lover Malyganya shot back in surprise._

" _You!" She cried out and threw the sheets off them._

" _Me."_

 _Valethornia Academy – Hospital_

Malyganya shot up awake in her bed.

"You!" she exclaimed breathing heavily.

"Calm down Maly, it was just a bad dream." Layla's voice said from her left as she felt two sets of hands try to restrain her.

"Yea, you need to be careful or you'll reopen your wound." Taz spoke from her right.

Hearing the voices of her friends Malyganya caught her breath and began to calm down. Looking around she was able to tell that they were in a hospital room not the school's infirmary. Amber sat at the foot of her bed. Her face was puffy and her eyes red, she had been crying a lot.

Layla and Taz looked better off from their body language. Layla's hands were slightly bruised, she had been hitting something, or someone. Taz's ears were drooping, he couldn't relax.

"What happened?" Malyganya asked looking around the room.

"That fucker Roanos almost killed you!" Layla exclaimed.

Malyganya thought back to the fight. She had been impaled on Roanos spear. The weapon had gone through her stomach. At the time she had been high on adrenaline but now that she thought about the fight she could say it hadn't pierced anything vital.

"What do you mean? His spear didn't come close to anything vital. We both knew that killing was against the rules." Malyganya stated.

"Fuck that shit. He stabbed you when your aura had gone beyond the safe parameters. He could have killed you had he just been a few inches off!" Layla exclaimed once more, this time Malyganya saw tears forming.

"We could all see what was going on but none of us could get through the barrier. Once you were impaled Layla went berserk. She tried to punch her way through." Taz began to speak.

Layla's wounded hands now made more sense. Her friend was shaking, from anger or fear Malyganya couldn't tell. She did the only thing she could and pulled Layla close. She held her friend in a warm embrace.

"I'm sorry Layla. I didn't mean to frighten you." Malyganya whispered softly.

"Maly, I don't know what I'd do if you died. You gave me a reason to fight. Before I met you I was aimless, you gave me direction. You can't die before we get to our destination." Layla sobbed.

"I don't even know where that is Layla." Malyganya said with a smile.

"Then we'll stay together till we find one, just don't leave me alone." Layla pleaded.

"Never, I'd never do that to you." Malyganya promised.

After a few seconds the two teenagers broke their embrace. Taz and Amber each had mixed emotions on their face. Taz was half-expectant and half-conflicted while Amber was a mix of embarrassment, shock, confusion, and bashfulness.

"My apology is for both of you as well, as well as my promise." Malyganya told her teammates. Amber moved first and climbed into the hospital bed, hugging Malyganya warmly. Taz followed suit and embraced the females.

 _Valethornia Academy – Hospital, elsewhere_

Lavi Southwark opened her eyes slowly. Looking up she saw that Roanos was still asleep. It had been almost three full days since his and Malyganya's conflict. The entire school had heard about what happened. Everyone kept going on about how Roanos had broken the rules and attacked with deadly force. Even though they were wrong, Roanos's reputation took a turn for the worse.

Lavi had tried to convince everyone that Roanos would never willingly try to kill a fellow student. Her pleas fell on deaf ears however. Team SLVR had been punished once more. The headmistress as well as many of the teachers felt that Roanos's actions had been extreme and could have resulted in the death of another student.

Some of the teachers argued on Roanos's behalf stating he showed exemplary fighting qualities. While death at the academy occurred from time to time it was either from missions or accidents. From the perspective of others Roanos looked as if he was ready and willing to kill. His punishment was one month's solitary confinement after he was stable enough to be moved.

Lavi hadn't left Roanos's room for the past two days after the team found out what his fate would be. When asked if they could visit Roanos while he was in solitary they were told yes, but only for fifteen minutes a day. Lavi knew her time now with Roanos was limited. A part of her hoped he would stay hurt so that she could stay by his side.

She knew it was horrible and selfish but the way he was being treated was unfair. Once again humans had shown her their ugly side. Malyganya was as much at fault as Roanos was but instead of punishment she was getting pampered. Lavi clenched her teeth and fist in anger.

"Lavi, that's my hand you're crushing." Roanos spoke, his voice was raspy and dry.

"You're awake; hold on I'll get you some water." Lavi said quickly before getting up to grab a nearby cup.

"The match, who won?" Roanos croaked out.

"Shush, don't concern yourself with that." Lavi stated as she began to pour water into Roanos's mouth. After drinking his full Roanos pushed the cup away.

"Lavi, who won?" Roanos repeated his question.

"The official answer is that you both tied." Lavi replied after biting her lip sheepishly.

"The official answer? What does that mean?" Roanos asked as he forced himself to sit up.

"The instructors tallied up your scores from the match and in the end you both had an equal amount, so you tied." Lavi explained.

"Then what's the unofficial answer?" Roanos questioned and Lavi could feel his anger.

"Among the students there are some that say you won. They felt your spear attack-"

"What the fuck is the unofficial result Lavi?!" Roanos roared.

Lavi knew he wouldn't like it; she didn't like it. She understood now why she was attracted to Roanos. He was like the opposite side of the same coin, similar but different. Where Lavi could stand a few humans around and preferred the company of faunus, Roanos hated everyone equally.

Lavi danced in the dark, skirting between the shadows. Roanos lived in the expansive abyss of darkness that covered him like a shroud. Lavi could see the light that desperately fought within Roanos to shine while Roanos could only see the darkness that everyone harbored.

"Most students believe Malyganya won the match. It was close and others are on the fence. Ignore their opinions and stick with the facts Roanos. You may not have won but you tied with her. You tied with Malyganya, one of the best students in school." Lavi spoke with a desperate plea as she clasped Roanos's hand in her own.

"There's no such thing as 'one of the best' Lavi, you either the best or you aren't." Roanos spoke back.

"Well then look at it like this, Malyganya isn't the best either. She didn't beat you. She couldn't win against your power so the best she could achieve was a tie." Lavi almost shouted but refrained from doing so by holding Roanos's hand tighter.

Roanos looked over at Lavi with a slightly confused expression. He didn't know why but he accepted her hand's embrace as he wrapped his fingers around hers.

"Thank you Lavi, I guess you aren't so annoying after all." The large man said with the tiniest of smiles gracing his face.

"You're welcome Roanos." Lavi whispered softly before giving her teammate a light kiss on the cheek.

 _Valethornia Academy – Main Building_

Layla, Taz, and Amber walked the hallways of the academy. Malyganya had told them not to worry and that she would be recovered soon. After telling her that they'd visit again after class the team left. They soon discovered a crowd gathering near the front of the school.

"What do you think is going on over there?" Taz asked.

"You guys didn't hear?! There's some big officer from the royal army here to see the headmistress." A voice said from off to the side.

Turning towards the voice the members of Team SLVR saw their friends from Team ORCJ, minus Crimson Carmine. No one had seen the young man for a few days now and even though Orpheus had brought the matter up with the faculty they had been told not to worry. Jett had been the one who spoke and looked at Team SLVR with a broad grin.

"Really, a royal army officer is here?! That is so fucking cool!" Taz exclaimed.

"Yea so everyone has gone outside to see his arrival. Want to check it out?" Orpheus suggested.

Suddenly the small group of friends became surrounded by soldiers. They quickly got into defensive positions but the soldiers didn't attack. They only looked from the group to the picture they each held.

"You." One of them said pointing to Layla.

"Me?" Layla asked quite surprised she had been picked.

"Yes you, Layla Yuki. You need to come with us. The captain wants to see you." The same soldier who had singled Layla out spoke.

"Yea, going to pass on that. Give him my regards though." Layla said to the soldier.

"We were only told to bring you; I don't think your condition matters." Another soldier spoke, this one was female by the tone of the voice. None of the soldiers could be identified because they wore helmets with visors.

"Stow that talk." The lead soldier shot to the female.

"I know you kids have received training and maybe in a few years' time you might be able to best one of us but don't do anything stupid." The man continued.

"Protecting a friend is the least stupid thing anyone could do!" Jett exclaimed before running at the soldier.

He made it three steps before being thrown to the ground and pinned. Crying out in pain Jett clenched his teeth to try and limit the sound. His arm was twisted behind his body as he lay face first on the ground. The teenagers were more than surprised at the efficiency of the soldier that had taken Jett down.

"Shall I break the arm sir?" the soldier asked.

"No, he has been subdued and hopefully now the other know they can't beat us." The leader said.

"What is the meaning of this?" the headmistress's voice yelled from behind the soldiers.

"Mam, we were sent by the captain to retrieve Layla Yuki. Her friend put up resistance and had to be subdued." One of the soldiers reported.

The headmistress looked from her students to the soldiers.

"Release him. Team SLVR, follow me. Team ORCJ get your asses to your next class." The headmistress commanded.

Jett grimaced and glared slightly at the soldier that had pinned him. "Imma get you back for that, you better believe it." Jett promised before following Orpheus and Roane.

Layla, Amber, and Taz followed the Headmistress to her office. Opening the door, they were surprised to see someone already inside. A man, roughly in his late twenties sat off to the side reading a book. Layla stared at the man for quite some time before frowning.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

The man looked up from his book and smiled mischievously at Layla before standing.

"Students, allow me to introduce myself. I am Jacques Bartholomew Yolondo Yuki, Captain of the Royal Army Ninth Brigade." The man introduced himself with a slight bow.

"Yuki?" Amber spoke softly.

"Layla do you know this man?" Taz asked.

"Yes, I most certainly do." Layla stated.

Walking up to Jacques, Layla stared the man straight in the eye. They stood at roughly the same height so it was easy for her to do.

"I'll ask you once more; what are you doing here, brother?"

* * *

A/N: My most heartfelt thanks goes out to Layla Yuki's creator. Layla's backstory has given me so much to work with and make it all relevant to the overall plot and theme of the story. Thank you so very very much. For those of you disappointed with the fight ending in a tie all I can say is the poll results speak for themselves.


	27. Chapter XXVI

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XXVI: Assuming Direct Control

 _Valethornia Academy – Headmistress's Office_

Layla and Jacques stared at one another silently. Amber began to tremble at the tension building between the siblings. Jacques smile did little to put her at ease and Layla's angry expression only amplified that.

"Layla, have you heard from Morgan or Father recently?" Jacques asked his sister.

"You know I haven't. I don't really keep in touch with any of you." Layla replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

Taz watched the siblings as neither one budged. He didn't know exactly what was going on but he could tell there was some type of animosity between Layla and her brother.

"You still haven't answered my question Jacques." Layla stated with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I came to make sure you were safe Layla. Despite how fractured our family is I still care for you." The older man said to his sister.

Layla laughed and shot Jacques a look of disgust.

"If you wanted to see how I was doing; you could have called. There was no need to take time out of your military life to see me." she spat.

Jacques face became hurt at her words. He released a deep sigh before composing himself.

"Layla, listen carefully to my words. Morgan and Father are dead." Jacques stated with a serious tone.

Layla's expression didn't change at first. She looked at her brother for any hint that he might be lying but upon realizing the serious nature of the truth she became angry.

"What the fuck do you mean they are dead?!" Layla yelled as she grabbed Jacques by his shirt.

Amber moved to try and calm Layla down but was stopped by Taz. He grabbed her shoulder and indicated with a head shake that it wasn't their place to interfere.

"They were both assassinated, along with other officers and ex-officers of the military. So far we have only recovered Morgan's body. Father's arm was found at the house but from the destruction of the area it has been determined that he too is dead." Jacques explained.

Layla felt the tears come to her eyes and stream down her face. She knew her family was scattered and broken, but now they were almost all gone. Her father had pushed her and her brothers from a young age to be warriors. They had been forced to grow up too fast, especially Layla. She had witnessed her mother's murder at the hands of the Grimm firsthand.

Layla had resented many things about her father and spoke to him very little after running away from home but deep down she knew that everything he had done was his own way of showing he cared. Her brother Morgan had been the second born child. She got along better with him than she did with Jacques, but there was a strict sibling rivalry held between them all enforced more so by their father.

Layla felt a deep sense of regret form in her chest. She realized only now that she should have kept in touch more than she did. She would be able to show her father her success as a huntress or one-up Morgan in combat. Never again would she see either of them smile or hear Morgan crack a lame joke. As the weight of the realization that they were truly gone hit Layla like a ton of bricks.

Her walls crumbled as her tears intensified. Layla looked at the last living relative she had. Jacques face mirrored her own as he fought back the tears that threatened to escape. It was too much for Layla to accept. Jumping forward the young woman wrapped her arms around her brother and began bawling. The headmistress motioned for Taz and Amber to leave the room before leaving the siblings to grieve alone together.

 _Valethornia Castle – War Room_

The castle war room was filled with various men and women of power. They were all currently shouting back and forth. A young woman dressed in royal attire looked around the room with a frown. Next to her was an older man. He had an eye-patch over his right eye and a flowing white beard. He was dressed more regally than the young woman and was currently glaring at the scene before him.

"ENOUGH!" the man yelled finally causing the room to become silent.

"The proposal to initiate marshal law is not one to be taken lightly. Everyone in this room understands that. After the destruction caused by the rogue militant faction it is time we considered moving the country into wartime conditions." The man spoke.

"Sire, you cannot be serious. Valethornia hasn't seen a war for the past two and a half decades. War brings calamity as well as a surge in the birth of Grimm." One of the members of the war room council spoke out.

"Tell us something we don't know. The Bleeding Hand aren't some lowlife punks. They are organized and funded. They're made up of soldiers who once served the monarchy. I believe our best approach would be negotiations." Another member spoke out.

"Fuck negotiations. We don't negotiate with terrorist. I say we find the rat bastards and kill them all." One member put forth.

The King turned to the girl next to him and tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Eze, this kingdom will someday be yours to rule. What do you think the best course of action is?" he asked his daughter.

Eze was silent as she thought of a response. The young woman was tall and lithe with an athletic body structure. Even with her royal clothing on it was easy to tell she was a fighter. She had long spikey blonde hair that came down to the middle of her back. Shining yellow eyes revealed the girl was deep in thought as she pondered her father's question.

"If it were up to me id enact martial law. I would not however go into wartime conditions. The citizens need to know that we'll look out for them but what we don't need to do is pull children into a fight we might not have time to train them for. Let's supplement the local police forces of the country with military personnel. This way they are strengthened and have military support without having to sacrifice control of themselves." Eze suggested.

The king smiled and looked at the surprised faces of the war room council. No one had thought the princess would have any understanding of war time politics or policies. She had shocked them with insight towards several issues they might run into with other ideas. Her proposal was sound and solid.

"Very well then if no one has a counter proposal we shall enact this plan. Martial Law, Level Eze is now in effect. As of this moment Princess Eze Luminaria Valethorn is promoted to General of the Royal Army." The king announced.

Eze looked at her father with surprise evident on her face. She hadn't been expecting to be put in charge of her proposal. The king merely smiled at his daughter.

"No one else knows your plan like you do. You're the only one who can see it come to fruition the correct way." He stated.

Eze nodded and looked to the council members sitting before her. Taking a breath, the princess began outlying the different facets of her plan to everyone. The rest of the meeting took roughly an hour to finish up. Eze left the room feeling exhausted. The young woman smiled to herself as she made her way back to her chambers and immediately went to the terminal set-up she had customized herself.

Setting up a secure line Eze sent out a request for a group call. Five separate windows appeared on the terminal's screen as she waited for the recipients to answer. The second window opened first as Lance's face appeared. The green-haired scientist looked annoyed but that was nothing new. Eze knew that Lance was more devoted to his research than anything else so even a minor interruption wouldn't be tolerated.

"Greeting Professor, how goes your work?" Eze asked as they waited for the others.

"Lady Eze, my work proceeds ahead of schedule but it would go faster if I was never interrupted." Lance answered.

The third screen, this one immediately next to Lance's was the next to come alive. A man appeared, he looked similar to Lance except for the violet hued obsidian colored hair as well as the dark purple hue of the skin.

"Lord Magress, it's rare to find you out of your armor." Eze commented.

Magress smiled showing off his teeth, most if not all were sharpened down. Magress was dressed in a simple black tunic with black pants and black boots. His hair was styled in a ponytail and he was sitting down on a throne made of bones.

"Eze, darling it has been far too long. How are things at the castle?" Magress asked.

"If you're asking in regards to the mission then it'll have to wait but if you mean my personal life then here's my response." Eze told Magress before grinning and sticking up both her middle fingers at the man.

Magress chuckled softly but never lost his smile. Two more screens came to life as Vargas and Atra finally came into the call. Vargas was dressed in a dark red priests habit. His hood was down but he kept his hands hidden in the long sleeves of the robe. Atra's upper body could be seen and was currently dressed in a sky-blue garment. Without a complete view though Eze was unable to tell what it was.

"Greetings friends, are we all here?" Vargas asked.

"Selena is missing." Magress stated.

As the words left his mouth however the last screen on Eze's terminal sprung to life. The person who appeared was older than the others. It was a woman with greying blue hair. Her eyes were also blue but had lost most of their vibrancy. Time had aged her well as very few wrinkles were apparent on her face. Smiling warmly to the others Selena nodded a silent greeting.

"With this let our meeting begin. First is our esteemed Princess Eze. What news of Operation: Blacklight can you share with us?" Vargas asked.

"I have assumed direct control of the royal military. We'll soon be initiating a martial law to take care of the Bleeding Hand." Eze informed her compatriots.

"I think it might be best to supplement the Bleeding Hand with my improved weapons and upgrades." Lance offered.

"We aren't trying to destroy the military Lance just soften them up." Vargas countered.

"Soften them up, you're killing them either way Vargas don't try and sell it short." Magress stated with a small chuckle.

"Sometimes it's better to sacrifice for the few for the greater good. We can't save everyone." Atra spoke, her voice like the ringing of bells.

"Do we really need to save anyone? We have seen the corrupt officials and how they line their pockets. It would be better to tear down the monarchy as a whole and start fresh." Magress stated with a simple shrug.

"Only a beast kills indiscriminately. Not everyone in a position of power is bad." Vargas spoke up.

"Maybe we are looking at this from the wrong point of view. For as long as this organization has been around we have always worked from the shadows." Selena spoke. Her voice was even and steady. She spoke with a calm grace that forced the other to pay her absolute attention.

"For the past twenty-five the kingdom has observed relative peace. Yes, there have been small a few up rises in grim activity every few years but nothing the Licht haven't been able to take care of." Selena continued.

"You Licht fools are too soft. You address a problem as it arises. We need to take out its source. This government is failing the people as a whole. The villages outside the protection of major cities send out for help but none ever comes. You all preach doing things for the light but it's not enough." Lance stated with a dark expression on his face.

"And I suppose your way of killing anyone who contributes to a problem is the better solution?" Atra asked.

"Of course it is. Through fear we'll show people the right path." Magress said.

Eze was silent during the exchange. She had heard this before. She was the newest member of the Consilium having replaced one of its previous members only two years ago. Eze hated the passive-aggressive actions of the Licht. As a group they followed a generally positive moral compass.

However, this caused them to look down on the Schatten who did whatever they deemed necessary to reach their goals. Even when it was decided that more members of Lucidiores Umbras needed to infiltrate the government the leaders of Licht were apprehensive about letting Schatten gain any kind of control. However, with Eze's ascension to the Consilium that was quickly squashed.

Selena cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. Of all the members in Lucidiores Umbras, she was by far the oldest having served since she was a teenager. Selena held the highest position in their organization as well as being one of the leaders of the Licht faction and member of the Consilium.

No matter the dispute Selena would ultimately hold the final say in all matters. While some thought her being a leader of the Licht would make her biased against the Schatten the woman had been in the organization long enough to be practical in all decision making.

"We're getting off track here. As it stands we need to increase the level of grim activity within the kingdom." Selena stated.

"Operation: White Dagger has already helped increase the levels of grim activity around the capital. My operative, Sierra-Alpha has been immensely useful on that front." Atra spoke.

"Magress, how are your operatives doing with their assignments?" Vargas questioned with a smug grin.

Magress smiled back unshaken.

"MY operatives are certain that they'll have the acquisition of their targets completed within the month." Magress replied with confidence.

"A month, that's so typical of you. I'm sure the all of the Licht agents will be done long before that." Vargas spoke with confidence.

"Quiet both of you." Selena stated this time with a sharp edge to her voice.

Eze snickered softly at the two men getting reprimanded. Selena exhaled heavily and closed her eyes.

"Everything seems to be moving on schedule. If all acquisition operations are completed within the month, then we can move on to phase three. Lance will you be ready by then?" Selena asked.

Lance's expression gave the impression that he thought he had been insulted.

"Selena with all due respect, I've been ready for a while now. I'm already finishing up the preparations for phase five." Lance informed the older woman.

Selena was quiets as she mused over Lance's information.

"Good work Professor. Moving ahead I'd like you to initiate the Deacon Protocol." Selena told Lance.

For the first time Eze saw Lance smile. The look of elation and happiness that plastered itself to his face was slightly unsettling. Lance bowed low and thanked Selena many times before raising his head.

Eze had heard of the Deacon Protocol but didn't know what they specified. Although knowing that one of her fellow Schatten leaders would be in charge of it caused the young woman to swell with pride.

The rest of their meeting consisted of various expense reports and minor operations that had ended or were still in progress. Eze knew that the main issues had already been covered but chimed in when needed. Forty-some odd minutes late Selena gave everyone their final orders before signing off from the call.

Lance immediately ended his transmission after Selena. Magress was courteous enough to give his fellow members a farewell before exiting. Vargas and Atra spoke amongst themselves for a few minutes before the blond-haired woman left, leaving Eze with Vargas.

"You didn't have to wait for me, you could have contacted me later." Vargas told Eze.

"I know what I could have done. I did what I wanted to do." Eze stated.

"What's up kiddo?" Vargas asked as his demeanor changed.

"I think Father suspects something. He's taken notice of the various sects within the churches and the odd behavior associated with them." Eze told Vargas.

"Thanks for the warning but don't worry. In a few months this kingdom and all its inhabitants will embrace the light. We will show them the might of the Licht." Vargas spoke with enthusiasm as he clenched his fist tightly.

Eze laughed with a childlike happiness. Vargas's passion for the Licht was his best quality and although she was a leader of the Schatten the two of them had been able to establish a friend ship with one another.

"There is no light without darkness Vargas, don't forget that." Eze said with a smile. Vargas smiled back at her and nodded.

"Will I see you soon?" Vargas asked.

"I suppose it would be nice to get a priest's blessing before going shipping out." Eze said playfully.

"I probably don't have to warn you to be careful. The Bleeding Hand know nothing about us. They will try to kill you with everything they have." Vargas warned.

"Let them try, they'll face the true terror that comes with messing with the Schatten." Eze said with confidence.

The two friends smiled at one another in silence for a few seconds before saying their goodbyes and ending their call.

 _Valethornia Academy – Main Entrance_

Tenebrous Tauron smiled as he felt the familiar cold of the academy steps beneath his feet.

"So how does it feel to be back?" he asked aloud.

There was a soft whoosh of wind as Tenebrous was joined by Crimson Carmine. The young man's attire had changed slightly. The sleeves of his jacket were gone, ripped off at some point. His gauntlets were now just bracers covering his forearms. On the back of each hand was a strange sign or symbol or some sort. Crimson's hair was a bit shorter and his bangs were cut away to reveal the entire top half of his face.

"It feels strange, the air is thick and there is a sense of malice here." Crimson answered.

"Yea, you're going to notice a lot of things now. From here on out, you'll have to walk your own path Crimson. Whatever you choose to do with the skills I have taught you will be your choice and yours alone." Tenebrous stated.

"I know that. I've always walked my own path, that hasn't changed." Crimson declared.

Tenebrous chuckled softly as he began to walk towards the academy.

 _You're right Crimson, it hasn't changed that you walk your own path. The only thing that has changed is now you have others who will walk it with you._

* * *

A/N: I had such a hard time ending this chapter. So much exposition and plot. I'll have to do some more character oriented chapters for the next few updates. Hope you guys enjoy this for your weekend fix.


	28. Chapter XXVII

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XXVII: Deacon Protocol

A/N: So, I have an idea about writing either a prequel arc or prequel story surrounding all the named characters and their motivations that led up to when and where they first appear in the story. I'll have another poll set up on my profile for you guys to decide which you would prefer.

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy_

Crimson Carmine walked through the nearly deserted hallways. After arriving back at the academy with Professor T the young man had separated from his mentor to find his team. He hadn't really kept track of the days for the time he had been away but he knew that they would either be in Practical Combat and Strategy Applications or Valethornia History.

Making his way towards their history class Crimson was surprised when he saw the Headmistress standing outside her office with two students. It wasn't seeing the headmistress that surprised him; it was the students she was with. Taz Argent and Amber Isolon of Team MTAL were hardly what Crimson would consider troublemakers. Curiosity got the better of him and Crimson activated his semblance before walking over to eavesdrop.

"I don't see why we were called over. This seems to be a family issue Headmistress." Taz spoke looking up at the older woman.

The headmistress was roughly four or five inches taller than him. Sighing loudly, she shook her head before answering.

"You are her teammates. She may have to make a decision that could fracture your team. Don't you at least want to hear her out before she makes that decision?" she asked.

"Layla might be leaving us?" Amber asked with a small tremble of fear in her voice.

"It's a possibility. Other students who have family tied to the military have already been approached. For the most part it has been kept quiet since the knowledge might cause panic within the kingdom." The headmistress told them.

"Does the military or government know who is doing this?" Taz asked.

"At the moment all signs point to the radical group Shattered Hollow. The attacks are disgustingly rough and take innocent lives with collateral damage. So far they have all been done in public areas to generate as much death as possible." The headmistress answered.

"That's horrible, why would anyone do something so cruel?" Amber asked as tears sprung to her eyes.

"There are many factors to consider. The members of Shattered Hollow believe they are right trying to tear down the government for the greater good. Try as they might the local law enforcement in the areas that Shattered Hollow operates isn't enough to put a stop to them." The experienced woman continued.

"Couldn't the government send in huntsmen or huntresses to stop them?" Taz asked.

"The huntsmen and huntresses primary function is to stop the Grimm that endanger the kingdom. With the discord rising among the populace they have their hands full stopping the sudden increase of Grimm attacks." She answered.

Suddenly the door opened and Crimson saw Layla Yuki exit alongside a man dressed in a royal army officer's uniform. Layla looked as if she had just recovered from shock as her face showed evidence of tears. The officer was more composed than she was but showed similar signs of distraught.

The man motioned for the group to come inside and Crimson quickly followed after them. He saw Taz and Amber immediately start to whisper with Layla, comforting her. Once she assured them she was fine everyone turned to the officer.

"I'm sure you all have questions for me. Your headmistress might have already filled you in on some things however while you were out there." The officer spoke.

"Will you be taking Layla away?" Amber asked, her trademark nervousness and fear laced voice was evident as she spoke.

"I wouldn't even if I was ordered too, not like she would come quietly anyway." The man said.

Layla smirked at his response while crossing her arms over her chest.

"So what's going to happen, Jacques?" Layla asked.

Crimson cocked an eyebrow at Layla's seemingly familiarity with the man. Jacques looked to the headmistress before answering.

"Whether they hear it from me or you won't change the outcome." The woman said with a small nod.

"As it stands, the royal army is in a state of war preparation. Nothing has been said officially but it's only a matter of time before we are mobilized to handle the Bleeding Hand." Jacques began.

"Since most of our huntsmen and huntresses are out on assignment it was decided that we make use of the huntsman and huntress in training to deal with Shattered Hollow." He continued looking at the students expressions.

"You want us to go after an organized gang?" Taz asked with an air of disbelief.

"It's not just you. Other academies around the country where Shattered Hollow activity is present will also be participating. The students will work alongside law enforcement to apprehend the gang members. Our aim is to lower the negative impact they are having on the citizens which has given rise to Grimm activity everywhere." Jacques answered.

Crimson was somewhat surprised at this information. He rarely kept up with current events but knew that there was gang activity, at least in the major cities. The fact that it had gotten so bad they were looking into the academies for help meant things would get a lot more exciting for him. The young man smiled to himself while the conversation continued.

"We won't be asking all students to participate. One of the incentives given was that student participation is left up to the headmaster or headmistress's discretion. We don't want to lose lives if we can avoid it." Jacques began to speak once again, answering the question on everyone's mind.

At this Layla immediately stepped forward.

"I want to help." She stated without hesitation.

"I had no doubt in my mind that you'd want to. Layla, I don't want you doing this looking for revenge." Jacques said to the girl.

"I won't, I know they are responsible for our father and brother's deaths but I'm not doing this out of vengeance." Layla replied immediately.

 _That's why she so familiar with him, they're siblings._ Crimson thought to himself as pieces of the larger puzzle began to click into place.

"Like I said, it is up to your headmistress as to who will be selected to go. Layla, just be careful. I'm sure that if it becomes known that you're out there you will become a target. I don't want to lose you." Jacques said to his sister.

Layla looked at her brother and smiled softly.

"I'll be fine, I kept up with you and Morgan during our training didn't I." Layla said with a self-assured smile.

Jacques smiled at Layla and nodded before looking to the headmistress.

"I'll take my leave now. I'm sure you'll have to call an assembly or something to give the students the news." He said to her with a short bow.

Crimson watched as Jacques and Layla said their farewells. It was touching he supposed. The officer shook hands with Taz as they parted but was hugged by Amber. This was unsurprising to everyone but Jacques as he awkwardly embraced the young girl.

After he left the members of Team MTAL stayed behind as the headmistress motioned them to stay.

"I'm sure this goes without saying but until the official announcement is made you are not to speak a word of this to anyone." She told them.

"I doubt anyone would believe us, except maybe Orpheus and his team. They were around when we were taken." Taz stated with a shrug.

"W-w-wha-what should we tell them?" Amber asked, her stutter returning as the thought of keeping a secret began to weigh on her.

"We tell them the truth, as much as we can. We were taken so that Layla could speak with her brother." Taz answered quickly taking his role as the team's second-in-command.

Layla nodded in agreement. There was no reason for her to say anything more than that.

"What about Ma-maly-Malyganya, shouldn't we let her kn-know?" Amber questioned once more this time looking at the headmistress.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let her know, she is your team leader but otherwise keep it quiet." The headmistress said with an air of authority.

Team MTAL's members all nodded and turned to walk away.

"Mr. Carmine, I want you to know you are also sworn to secrecy." The headmistress suddenly stated causing everyone to freeze.

Sighing Crimson deactivated his ability and walked out from the corner he had been standing in.

"I'm surprised you knew I was there." Crimson stated in a tone that showed no surprise.

"I didn't until a few minutes ago. The nature of your semblance makes you undetectable to people but the security in this room is highly sophisticated. I was alerted to a constant surge of aura being released at a constant rate. After matching the aura's signature with all students within the database it found out it was you." The woman explained as she pulled out a scroll showing the data that had led to her conclusion.

Amber immediately hugged the young man as he approached. Crimson sighed and looked at her with an expression of annoyance.

"Crimson where were you, we were all worried you had been kidnapped. The administration told us not to worry but we couldn't help it. No one would tell us anything." She cried out so quickly it was almost as if her words mashed together.

"Speak for yourself Amber, not all of us were worried." Taz stated with a smirk.

He and Crimson met glances and the familiar animosity between them sent chills down Amber's spine.

"Noooo, no fighting!" Amber cried out and hugged Crimson tighter.

Layla shook her head and pried Amber away from Crimson.

"It's good to see you back. I'm sure Maly will be happy her favorite rival is alive and well." She said as she and Crimson bumped fists. The two of them had mutual respect for one another skills.

Crimson didn't have to tolerate Layla since he never saw her outside of her serious persona. He respected that she could be both a warrior and person, something that he struggled with.

"Speaking of, where is Malyganya at?" Crimson asked.

"She's at the school's hospital, recovering from her match with Roanos." The headmistress answered.

Crimson's eyes widened in surprise. He knew that Roanos was strong but to put Malyganya in the hospital meant he was on a different level than any of the first years.

Layla noticed the look of surprise on his face and quickly shook her head.

"She didn't lose; they are both in the hospital. It was a draw." She clarified.

Crimson nodded at the new information. He had faced off against Malyganya many times before and knew from first-hand experience that she was strong, they're matches had always ended with someone winning by a points margin.

"You all should be heading back to your classes; you can catch up with each other at the end of the day." The headmistress told them as she went to her desk.

As the group left the bell signaling the end of class rang. Crimson found out from the others which schedule they were following and broke off from them to catch up with his team for the final class of the day.

 _Gebu Village_

A young woman sat in silence. She was surrounded by a ring of lit candles. She was a sight to behold with ivory colored skin and an athletic build with well-defined muscles. She had dark brown shoulder length hair that was kept in a bun with a navy blue bandanna securing it. Her left eye was dark forest green. She had an eye patch covering the right eye which partially covered the scar that ran over from the middle of her forehead down to the top of her cheek.

Along the edges of her bottom and top lip was another scar on the right side of her face. She had a scar running diagonally over her left eye from the corner of her left eye brow to the edge of her left nostril. There was a large scar running over the bridge of her nose but stopped at her left cheek bone. A final scar could be seen running horizontally along the upper right side of her forehead.

The woman was dressed in a bronze tank-top with dark green combat pants, similar to the kind the soldiers of the military wore and brown combat boots. Across her lap was a sword. It was a saw-toothed blade with bones and knots engraved on it. The guard strongly resembled an eye, inlaid with ebony. Its grip was made of a strange blue metal, and its pommel shaped like a skull with a ruby in its mouth.

There was a ringing sound and the woman pulled out her personal scroll before opening the message she had received.

" _ **Agent Blanka, you have been activated. Deacon Protocol is in effect."**_ A mechanical voice said.

Blanka smiled to herself and stood up before sheathing her weapon across her back.

"Alrighty then, time to get to work." Blanka said as she left the room.

 _Fort Nitration_

The corpses of soldiers littered the ground. A young man stood atop the battlements with a slightly bored expression on his face. In his left hand he carried a plain looking straight double-edged short-sword. The dagger in his left hand was a different story. It was double edged like the sword but running along its middle was a barrel. The blades were serrated as well which gave the weapon a sort of demonic appearance.

The young man stood almost six feet tall. He had extremely pale skin, with fair facial features. His spiky black hair had a few odd pink strands apparent. His eyes were stranger than his hair however. They were pink irises with black spikes coming from the pupil. He wore black jeans, a pink t-shirt with a skull in the middle, a black shearling jacket and pink combat boots.

The young man felt a vibration in his pocket and dropped his sword to the ground before pulling out his scroll. The weapon clattered to the ground as blood from it splattered everywhere.

" _ **Agent Sasayaki, you have been activated. Deacon Protocol is in effect."**_ A mechanical voice said.

Sasayaki grinned showing off rows of sharpened teeth. He turned his head to the left and gazed off into the distance.

"It's time to wake her up from the beautiful lie she calls reality. I'll introduce her to the harsh truth of the world." He said before picking up his sword and leaping from the battlements to the ground.

 _Sandoria City_

The man ran for his life and turned into a nearby alley. He didn't know why he was being chased. All he knew as that he had to get away. Looking back, he saw the figure chasing him hadn't stopped. From what he could tell it was a woman. She had deathly white skin with long blood-red hair that flowed down to the base of her back with eyes that were a sinister blackish-blue hue.

She was wearing a full helmet in the shape of a wolf's head that covered just about everything excluding her eyes and had an opening in the back for her hair to come out from. The way it was styled however made her hair look almost like a wolf's mane. The woman wore a trench coat that was armored with a chest plate and shoulder pardons, pants with armor plating around the thighs, gauntlets that ended in claws and boots that ended with a points. Her clothing followed a black and silver color scheme giving off an air of ferocity.

Turning a corner in the alley the man froze in terror as he came face to face with a dead end. Turning around he tried to choose the opposite way but was cut off by his pursuer. Crying tearfully the man backed up in fear. He looked around for some way of escape but knew that there was none. The woman pulled a long thick sabre from the sheath on her back.

The sound of grating and ringing metal as it was drawn cause the man to break down into a full blown cry as he began to beg and plead for his life. The woman never answered. She never spoke. All she did was close the distance between them.

Praying, begging, and pleading the man threw himself at the woman's feet. She raised her weapon and with a swift motion decapitated the man. A fountain of blood spurt upwards. The woman raised her weapon into the air and it began to glow dark red. The blood was absorbed into the blade as it shot from the man's body.

Once the fountain stopped the woman lowered her sabre and looked at it before sheathing the weapon. There was a beeping sound and the woman reached into her pouch which hung from the back of her waist and pulled out a scroll.

" _ **Agent Cybr, you have been activated. Deacon Protocol is in effect."**_ A mechanical voice said.

Cybr pressed the accept button before placing her scroll back into the pouch and turning to exit the alley. She had new orders and a new target, now it was time for a new hunt.

* * *

A/N: Alrighty then, the meaty part of the story is beginning to unfold. Don't forget to vote on the poll.


	29. Chapter XXVIII

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XXVIII: Extracurricular Activities

 _Valethornia Academy – Disciplinary Building_

Roanos walked slowly down the hallway. He was restrained by various cuffs and guarded by four members of the schools security forces. It had been two days since he woke up. The doctor that had treated him cleared him with a clean bill of health only a few hours ago. He was immediately restrained and taken to the disciplinary building.

His team had seen him off with varying emotions. Sable had a slightly smug smile on her face. Viridian offered up a few sympathetic words to him. Lavi looked as if she might cry and told him she'd visit every day. While Roanos told her that she didn't need to, he knew that she'd come anyway.

Roanos passed various cells filled with other students who had stepped out of line. They jeered as he passed while some congratulated him for his fight with Malyganya. Roanos ignored them and continued with the guards to the solitary confinement area. He complied with each instruction given to him and in minutes was released from his restraints.

As the door closed behind him Roanos felt a strange pressure begin to push down on his body. He tried to activate his semblance but when he did the pressure increased causing him to lose focus. _A dampener?_ He thought as he began to expand more aura.

The more he used the heavier the pressure against him. Roanos smirked and dropped to the ground. With the pressure against him the imprisoned teenager began doing pushups while releasing a constant stream of aura.

 _Valethornia Academy – Atrium_

Roane looked around as the students filled the area. Sitting nearby his team were the members of Team MTAL and Team JSMN. Malyganya was still missing however as she recovered. Even though it had already been half a week since the fight Malyganya's wounds were a lot more serious than everyone had initially thought.

Roanos's spear may have missed vital organs but being impaled was not something someone could just shrug off. Roane sighed and turned his attention to the assembly. The head mistress had called for each year of students to meet separately at the various atriums and auditoriums the school housed.

Whatever the case was it wasn't as if the school couldn't hold its entire student body in one location. The fact that they had been called separately meant that something big was going down. On the stage near the center one of the staff members climbed up and began to settle down the crowd. Roane didn't recognize the man but after a few moments the students became quiet.

"First Year Initiates, there has been a new development within the government." The man spoke into the mic that had been set-up.

"Due to the increase in gang activity which has caused an increase in Grimm related incidents it has been decided that a new extracurricular activity be introduced. Starting today teams may sign up to become volunteer law enforcement." The man continued.

There was an immediate explosion of sounds as students began to shout.

"Settle down, settle down." The instructor called out.

"I'm sure this comes at a surprise to you all. First off this is a completely voluntary activity. Secondly, the final decision for which teams are approved are up to the headmistress. Since this is being designated an extracurricular activity the teams that are assigned will have to maintain a strict average grading." He continued.

At this information, loud groans could be heard from the students who knew they're teams wouldn't get approved because of low scores. Roane smiled as he thought of his team and how they were just a little above the line to be eligible for extracurriculars. Jett was by no means stupid but he rarely applied himself outside of physical interactive classes.

Roane looked over at Jett and saw the young man smirking. He could only think that an extracurricular activity this exciting might actually be worth the time and effort needed to improve his grades. Orpheus looked as if he was in deep thought as he grabbed his chin. Of all the members only Crimson looked uninterested in what the instructor had to say.

Even though Crimson had joined them a few days ago, the young man refused to tell his teammates what he had been doing. To be more specific he refused to go into detail about what he was doing. They knew he had been training and that he had gotten permission to skip out on classes in order to do so.

Jett had pestered Crimson into revealing the results of his training but Crimson told him it wasn't time for that. Orpheus had been generally more accepting and merely told Crimson to learn the new team formations they had formed while he was away. Roane was curious about Crimson had been doing but knew that his teammate would reveal things in time so he left him to his own devices.

Since then things had been business as usual. They went to class, hung out with their friends, and generally had an uneventful two days. Now with this announcement Roane anticipated that their "normal" routine would change.

"Orpheus what do you think about this?" Roane asked the team leader.

"At the moment I think it would be prudent for us to polish up our team skills before signing up." Orpheus answered.

"That's bullshit Music-man!" Jett exclaimed in a hushed tone as he inserted himself into the conversation.

"We might not even get approved because of your low grades Jett." Orpheus stated in a matter-of-factually tone.

"This is true; your ineptitude could be the reason. You were warned your actions would have lasting consequences." Crimson's muffled voice could be heard.

"Dang guys; show some kind of restraint, no need to jump down my throat." Jett stated with a sheepish smile.

"We aren't jumping down your throat Jett, just stating a possibility. You have been neglecting your academics and now it might prevent not only you but the team as a whole from participating in this." Roane clarified.

Jett sighed and shook his head in defeat. He knew the others were right but it didn't change the fact that he thought Orpheus's decision to not even apply was bullshit. Leaning back in his chair the young man pulled out his scroll and began playing some game on it. The rest of Team ORCJ also began to pay attention to the rest of the announcement as thoughts of which teams might be chosen crossed their minds.

 _Kenju Forest_

Lance stood in the field near the forest. It was rare for him to be out of his laboratory but today was special. Pulling out a seed, the size of which was similar to a softball Lance smiled before placing the item deep into the earth. There was a short rumbling and soon the seed sprouted.

The growth of the plant was astronomical as its bud grew and grew. Soon a flower bloomed and from there it began to grow in size as its shape changed. The stalk of the plant expanded as both its height and width increased. Lance watched on in fascination as a humanoid shape formed.

Directly beneath the wreath of flowers that had initially bloomed was the head. The face couldn't be seen from within the protective covering of the stalk that currently surrounded the creature growing within. Lance had always been fascinated with plants. He was a leading authority within the field of botany.

His discoveries had changed and improved the medical field as well as the chemical one. Lance realized that his study into plant life wasn't enough however and expanded his research to include genetics and biology. Through experimentation he pushed the limits of all three fields.

The creature continued growing until it was roughly the size and shape of a young adult human. Lance's eyes filled with wonder. His latest breakthrough had been the most time-consuming. Initially Lance had spliced his own genetic make-up with various plants. Through trial and error had come upon a combination that eventually granted him eternal youth.

Emboldened by the success he push for complete immortality. Every experiment failed however through the limitation of human DNA that was his base. Rather than give up on the project the scientist shifted focus from making someone immortal, to creating an immortal being from scratch. So far each experiment had ended in failure but he was confident about the latest one.

Eventually the plant finished growing as its stalk opened up to reveal a pale green-skinned being. Its form was distinctly female with breast-like mound on its chest and wide hips. It had no other real distinguishing features. The face was slightly plain, being narrow with a triangular jaw. The creature opened its eyes revealing bright yellow-green orbs with no pupils.

"Hello there, my name is Lance and I am your creator. Do you understand what I am saying?" Lance greeted as he inspected the creature.

"You are my creator. What is a creator?" the creature asked, its voice was soft with a slight raspy tone to it.

"A creator is someone who makes things. I made you." Lance answered as he continued to inspect the newly born creation.

"Am I a creator?" the creature asked looking behind itself at Lance.

"No, you have not created anything. You are a creation, the product of a creator." Lance explained.

"Why was I created?" the creature asked, its curiosity unsated.

"You were created to help me with my experiment." Lance replied as he walked a few feet away.

"Help you? What am I supposed to do?" It asked.

Lance was surprised at how quickly the creature was able to grasp the concept of conversation. He had manipulated the DNA sequence to help promote mental growth but what he saw developing was far past his calculations. The creature knew how to speak in complete sentences and respond to outside stimuli.

"You are going to fight. You will fight until you die or if my experiment is a success until everyone else is dead." Lance answered.

The creatures face shifted and Lance could see the expression of fear. He always hated this part. He knew that self-awareness was crucial to the experiment but it seemed like a waste to have something be aware that it was made to die. He could make use of drones but he needed an emotional response from whichever subject achieved immortality so he could see its effect on the psyche.

The creature looked around as it became surrounded. From the ground faceless misshapen earth mounds formed. They had been the first batch of creatures Lance made. Their regenerative abilities were extraordinary but they never lasted more than an hour, two hours at the most.

The mounds moved first and attacked the newborn with ferocity. The creature dodged the attacks as long stretches of earth shot past it. Leaping into the air the creature summoned forth a leaf-bladed spear from its own arm. Armed with a weapon it attacked the mounds.

Three of the mounds were sliced apart in rapid succession. As quickly as they were taken apart however they healed and began to attack once more. Lance's newest creation however had continued to move through the crowd. It used the blade end of its weapon to literally disarm its foes while the shaft of the spear was used to defend itself by pushing them away.

Lance continued to watch the spectacle. He took notes of the way the newborn creature moved; its actions and reactions to various attacks. He took notice of the small pauses the creature took to plan out its next assault. All the while it never took more than a glancing blow. The mounds weren't enough.

Tapping a button on his scroll Lance activated the next wave of enemies for the creature to fight against in addition to the mounds. These new beings were short, standing only two feet tall. They were stocky however, being formed with a dense cluster of particles. The new midget monsters charged the newborn and tackled it to the ground.

As the collection of limbs tumbles on the ground Lance sighed as the calculations in his head predicted the outcome of the match. The mounds joined the fray as they climbed over the newborn and began to restrict its movements. Struggling against the overwhelming odd the creature managed to throw off some of its attackers but it was already too late.

Each of its limbs was grabbed by one of the midgets and with a painful cry the creature was ripped apart. Lance watched as the creature went through its death throes before finally expiring. Cursing silently Lance deactivated the other creations as he finalized the data.

"Another failure Lance?" a female voice said from behind the scientist.

"This was merely a setback." The man replied without turning around.

The female's voice laughed softly in response.

"Vargas and Eze are having another meeting. Should I instruct Drevas to inspect closer?" the female asked.

"No, let them have their privacy for now. Head to the capital, there is a subject there whose genetic material I want you to retrieve. The details are in a file I've sent you." Lance instructed.

"As you wish Professor." The female's voice stated and in moments Lance felt her presence leave.

Looking around the field once more with a look of peace and serenity Lance sighed contently.

"Back to the lab again." He said to himself before heading west.

* * *

A/N: Poll is still up for voting.


	30. Chapter XXIX

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XXIX: Overwatch

A/N: I don't know if you all feel like the pace has slowed but I'm going to try and speed things up a bit.

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy Hospital_

Malyganya lay back as the doctor inspected her stomach. It had been a full week and a half since her fight with Roanos. Her team came to visit her every day. Sometimes they were together and other times they came one at a time. She appreciated their concern but really wished she could just be checked out.

Her doctors had shown her the charts. Her internal organs were mostly healed. The scar on her stomach was barely visible but still they had reservations about giving her clearance. They were concerned she might push her body before it had completely healed. She voiced her concerns to her teammates and while both Taz and Layla agreed it was Amber's concern for her well-being that made Malyganya stay.

As the doctor finished up the door opened. Malyganya was surprised when she saw the headmistress walk in with a young man. The man was dressed in the capitols law enforcement uniform which gave Malyganya some idea as to what was going on.

"Headmistress, Officer what can I do for you both?" Malyganya asked while respectfully bowing her head slightly to each of them.

"Your team has filled out the application to be assigned to the volunteer law enforcement squad." The headmistress began.

"We have seen the videos and heard from your instructors. Your team is one of the best." The officer interjected.

Malyganya turned her attention to the man.

"Now the doctors say they won't clear you to be an active student and the rules won't allow your team to be approved without you. It's a lot of bureaucracy bull shit. Among the first year teams we've decided that Teams JSMN, ORCJ, YLWW, BRWN, MTAL and SPHR are the ones we want to help us." He continued.

"So what do you need from me?" Malyganya asked slightly confused.

"We would need you to sign a non-combative agreement. You would join but only from a tactical standpoint." The headmistress answered.

"At least that's what it would be on paper." The officer interjected again.

The headmistress sent a glare his way but the man was unnerved.

"She's an intelligent girl, there's no reason to sugarcoat this." The officer stated as he stepped closer to the young woman.

"Look, I know you don't want to be stuck in here. Hell if I could force the doctors to release you with a green-light then I would. This paperwork will allow us to get you out of here." He told her.

"What's the catch?" Malyganya asked.

"No catch; at least off paper." The officer answered quickly.

"On paper however you won't be in charge of your team the government will. Anything goes wrong you'll be subject to disciplinary response from them and not the academy." The headmistress chimed in.

"While working with us, Taz Argent will officially lead Team MTAL. You made him your second anyways. You'll be stationed in the command post and provide tactical support. You'll also have some leeway with other activities." The officer informed Malyganya.

The huntress-in-training thought about the offer. She could always wait for her body to get to one hundred percent but that was the doctors call. This way at least she's out and about. The hidden nuances the officer hinted at weren't lost to her either. Smiling Malyganya looked the officer in the eye and nodded.

"Where do I sign?"

 _Capital City Gorsentine - Thirteenth Prescient, one day later_

Crimson Carmine looked at the uniform they had been forced to wear. It was standard issue cadet gear. He felt uncomfortable in the attire but for the sake of the assignment he wore it. In front of them the police commissioner was going over the roles, rules, and responsibilities of the students while they were here. Crimson heard the words and committed them to memory but his attention was focused on Malyganya.

She was dressed differently than the rest of the volunteer squad. Instead of the dark indigo-blue uniform she wore a silver-grey one along with a beret. She had a small medal attached to the front of her blouse as well as a headset which currently hung around her neck. At first he thought she had been put in charge of the entire squad but the commissioner explained that they would be commanded in the field by other officers.

"Finally as I'm sure many of you may be wondering. Your fellow volunteer, Malyganya Oregenera will be providing you with tactical support." The commissioner explained waving a hand over to the young woman in question.

"She is your lifeline back to us. She'll provide you invaluable data as well as real time mapping of the various sections you'll be investigating." He continued.

Crimson heard the murmurs of confusion from the other students. Malyganya took this opportunity to step forward and stand next to the commissioner.

"Hello everyone, I'm sure you all know who I am. I've had the pleasure of meeting a few of you at the academy. Let me just say it is an honor to work alongside you all. Now regarding the mission, I will help coordinate you alongside the police force. I will prioritize everyone's safety with any suggestions I offer or routes I choose for you to take." she informed them.

"Let's not forget that these people are dangerous and have shown willingness to use deadly force. Keep yourselves and your teammates safe while you're out there and I will do my best to do the same from my end." Malyganya finished with a short bow.

Walking away from the area Malyganya put her headset on and left.

"While Malyganya goes to set up her command station I'd like you all to meet your assigned officer in the locker room and suit up. This operation starts in one hour. Dismissed!" the commissioner told them.

Crimson, Roane, Orpheus, and Jett quickly found the members of Team MTAL as the throng of students hustled out and headed towards the locker room.

"What the shit is up with that?!" Jett asked angrily as he glared at Taz.

"Why isn't Malyganya joining us in the field?" Orpheus questioned, calmer than his teammate had been.

"You don't think we wanted her with us?!" Layla shot back, physically getting in-between Taz and Jett.

"The academy's hospital wouldn't clear Malyganya for field operations. The only way she could come would be as a non-combatant. As Team MTAL's second in command I'm leading us until she comes back." Taz answered calmly.

"Typical medic bullshit. She's fine, I mean did you guys see her?" Jett stated with exaggerated hand movements.

"You're being immature Jett, Malyganya may look fine but she isn't one hundred percent." Crimson chimed in.

"What do you mean?" Orpheus inquired looking over at the white-haired young man.

"She carried herself with a bit of a slouch and favored her left leg over the right. There was lots of tension in her chest and her breathing was off." Crimson began listing the oddities he had noticed.

"Crimson, that's really fucking creepy bro." Taz stated as a look of unease graced his face.

"Having an eye for detail is crucial, especially when you're in a combat situation." Crimson shot back.

"Whatever the case may be, she'll be the one watching our backs out there. I feel better knowing she's only a mic call away." Roane said.

Amber walked next to the gentle young man with a soft smile on her face.

"I'm glad she's here as well and in a safe place. I would've been too worried to focus on the mission if she was in the field with us." the young girl stated.

"Amber, you're always worrying about something or another. 'Worry' is like your default emotion." Jett joked with a grin.

Amber blushed deeply and shook her head.

"That's not true!" she cried out with her voice cracking.

Jett, Layla, and Taz all began to laugh at the girl's outcry while Roane just pet Amber's head comfortingly. The small group of friends were the last ones to make it to the locker room. Inside they saw the other students had already dispersed and were changing clothes as their lead officer explained what section of the city they would be covering.

Team MTAL and ORCJ split up at this point and began to change into their combat clothes. The officer in charge of MTAL was a young looking woman. she had short hair that barely came past her ears. Her face was battle-scared and beneath the uniform it was easy to tell that she was definitely ripped.

"Alright then meat, you're going to be with me in one of the heaviest gang occupied territories. We'll also be with Team JSMN as the two areas overlap at points. Get your comms in and turn to frequency channel number nine." the woman instructed as they finished changing.

"Taz Argent, reporting in."

"Layla Yuki, online.

"He-hello I'm Amber, Amber Isolon"

"Jack Cisco here, testing the comms"

"Simon Simore says he is online"

"Mini Madonna."

"Nina Cisco, ready to rock."

"Officer Mooney, checking in"

"Lead Officer Mortis, online. Overwatch This is Delta Squad do you read us?" the officer for Team JSMN spoke as he tested their radios.

"Overwatch here, I'm reading you loud and clear Delta Squad." Malyganya's voice replied through everyone's mic.

"Overwatch, run a stress test on the team's comms to simulate the various conditions we'll be going through." Officer Mortis instructed.

A few seconds later everyone's comes began to screech slightly.

"Stress test in progress, do you read me Delta Squad, over." Overwatch asked.

"Still reading you Overwatch. the sound quality dropped a bit. Increase stress two levels, over." Officer Mortis requested

The screeching got louder and now there was static present.

"Stress test level risen to five, I suggest increasing your comms voltage a bit to boost signal reception." Overwatch advised.

The group followed her instructions and soon the comms started to clear up.

"Alright Overwatch, thanks for the test. Officer Mortis out, over." the man said as the test ended.

"Officer Mortis, do we have to call Malyganya, Overwatch?" Taz asked into the comm.

"Yes, you do. Keep in contact with the team and with Overwatch. She'll be our much needed eyes while we are out here." Officer Mortis answered.

The members of Delta squad all left to the garage together. they could see the other squads enter tactical cars and jeeps. Once inside the members of Team MTAL looked at Team JSMN. There had been very little animosity between them since the second trial. contrary to what Team MTAL thought, the outcome of the match wasn't the only thing they were being graded for. Even though they had won the match Team JSMN had done a better tactical job.

The jeep they were in drove off into the city taking back roads as the sun died down. The teams mainly talked amongst themselves about random shit for the ride. however, things became serious as they entered the mission area. The two officers gave out each member's function and position within the four man cells they'd operate by, three-man for Team MTAL.

"Overwatch this is Delta Squad B; we're moving out to cover the west section. Do you have eyes, over?" Mooney asked as she and Team MTAL left the transport vehicle and proceeded on foot. Mooney carried an assault rifle with various attachments and took point. She had Layla cover the rear with Amber in the middle while Taz followed right behind her.

"Delta Squad B, Overwatch has eyes on you. Showing multiple still heat signatures around you. Be aware you are still in civilian section of mission zone. Target location is roughly a klick and a half away. I'm reading movement with target area but nothing that's out of the ordinary, over." Overwatch answered.

"Roger that Overwatch, add additional eyes in the sky for use to have visuals. Heat sigs are nice but if you can get visual confirmation that'd be even better, over." Mooney stated.

Layla was surprised at how well Malyganya had slid into the role of an operator. She kept an eye out for anything but was mostly relaxed. Night had pretty much fallen and they weren't in gang territory just yet. Passing through an alley the group avoided the main roads as much as possible. They were making good time with Malyganya giving them the best route to their target. they were rerouted twice when an area became unexpectedly dense.

The visuals came in when they were about four or five minutes from the target. Malyganya informed them that she could confirm fifteen gang members but there were twenty-one heat signatures. The hidden six members made Mooney uneasy. She hated going in blind.

"Overwatch can you get a depth count on the six members not accounted for visually?" Taz asked as he opened the comm channel.

"Delta B-Three, please confirm last request with an over, over." Overwatch answered.

Taz shook his head and sighed.

"Depth count on the six members that you can't account for visually, can you do it...over." Taz repeated.

"Already done B-three, next time please use proper communication protocols." Overwatch stated although the members of Team MTAL could hear the playful tone in her voice.

"Overwatch what are the readings saying, over." Mooney asked.

"The six signatures are a few meters underground in the basement of the third building farthest from you on the north side, over." the females voice spoke through the mic.

"Ov-over-OVERWATCH!" Amber cried out.

Everyone turned to look at the female with various expressions of disapproval.

"Sorry" amber whispered softly.

"Delta B-four, I'm reading you. Go ahead, over." Overwatch stated after a few seconds, probably recovering from the sudden shriek in her ear.

"Please se-sen-send a map layout a-a-a-and overlay the enemy position to my scroll pleas, over." Amber squeaked out.

"Sending tactical data to your scroll now, over." the young woman informed the team.

When the data reached Amber she pulled it up and showed the others. Taz and Mooney immediately began to talk amongst themselves. Layla sighed and leaned against a nearby building. She never liked planning. She would rather just run in and hit everything till it was over. Amber was making battle routes on the map. After Taz and Mooney finished conferring they spoke with Amber about the various was to engage the gang.

"Overwatch, we are sending you various battle plans. Simulate and give us the best odds, over." Officer Mooney instructed.

"Data received Delta B-One, simulating now, over." Overwatch told them.

The next minute or so was spent in silence.

"Simulations complete, sending data back over." Overwatch's voice suddenly spoke to them.

The group looked at the data and Layla smiled.

"I like the odds of this one." she stated.

"Yea, high risk with a high reward." Taz agreed.

Mooney looked at the two of them with a small smile of pride.

"I knew I choose right when they let us select which teams we'd command. What about you amber, do you agree with your teammates?" the officer asked.

Layla nodded nervously before putting her scroll away.

"Overwatch, we have our plan. Sync mission clock in five, over." Layla said over the comms.

"Overwatch reads you Delta B-five. Sync in five, over." came their operators reply.

"Five"

Layla readied her gauntlets as the claws extended.

"Four"

Amber took out both her spears and twirled them experimentally before looking over at Taz.

"Three"

Taz smirked and loaded ammunition into his weapon and chambering a round.

"Two"

Overwatch watched the data flow from the live feed she was getting. _Good luck, guys._

"One"

Mooney released the safety of her weapon and laughed softly.

"Sync!"

* * *

A/N: So this was a fun chapter to write. I re-read one of my old stories, of the few I still have up here and its actually my most popular work. I wrote it in high school back when my writing skills were at their most amateur. I don't know what drugs I used when I wrote it but I kind of wish I had some of them now. If you don't mind a SasuHina fic I'd suggest you check it out for yourself, it's "When a Good Girl met a Bad Boy"


	31. Chapter XXX

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Chapter XXX: Kobayashi Maru

Revision A/N: So the first time I posted this the anon feedback was positive for the most part. I've read your reviews and after careful consideration will apply many scenes from the original draft into the chapter. The story is for the fans and so this retcon/revision is for you all, enjoy. I realize now that I sacrificed content for completion and for that I'm sorry.

Revision A/N: Please take time to read my message to all the readers at the end of the chapter, thank you.

* * *

 _Gorsentine - Shattered Hollow Hideout_

Two young men stood on top of a roof. One held a handgun while his companion held a shotgun.

"Hey." The pistol wielder called out.

"Yea?" his shotgun-wielding companion answered.

"Do you ever wonder why we are here?"

"That's one of life's great mysteries isn't it; why are we here? Are we just the product of some cosmic coincidence or is there really some kind of god out there with a plan for us?"

There was a pause as the two men looked at one another.

"What the shit? I meant why are we here in this gang?" pistol man said.

"Oh, um well…" his friend trailed off.

"What was all that stuff about-" before he could finish his thought however the two were thrown to the ground by an explosion.

" _Contact, forty-five degrees northwest. Delta B-Three, cover fire on Delta B-Five. Delta B-One and B-four move alongside the eastern side of the street. Engage targets in six."_

Layla heard Malyganya's voice over their comms as they moved. Since she had a live feed of the situation Malyganya could give them the enemies' new location within seconds and update them with the best path. One thing that caused concern for Layla was that Malyganya was Overwatch for the entire Delta squad including Team JSMN.

She was worried that Malyganya might not be able to keep up with the flow of battle on two separate ends. As she moved into position Layla noticed that the gang members had begun their counter attack. Taz provided the cover-fire he had been instructed to do and Layla ran in while the targets took cover. When she was in range she began unloading shotgun rounds into the men and women that opposed them.

The spread was surprisingly useful since it took out targets on the fringe or forced them to stay in cover. On the opposite side Mooney fired at the targets above them with her rifle while Amber began to beat others with the blunt ends of her spears.

" _Be advised, the six targets from before are on the move. They'll join the engagement in thirty seconds. Recommend you focus on taking out targets on the northwest side to open an escape path should retreat become necessary."_

"Acknowledged Overwatch. Delta B-Three and Four open that path. Delta five take point and clear the north side!" Mooney commanded.

Taz reloaded his pistols as he counted the seconds till it would be clear for him to move. The sound of Layla's shotgun blasts stopped moments later and he came out of cover firing at the gang. He felt a sting of pain as shots began to hit his body.

"They are using anti-aura ammunition!" Taz yelled into the comm as he felt blood gush from a shot to his thigh.

"This is police-grade stuff; how'd they get their hands on it?" Mooney questioned as she took out three more targets. She had switched the priority of her targets and aimed for the head and chest instead of the arms or legs. She couldn't afford to go for restraint when the danger they faced had been upped significantly.

"Delta Squad B, you are authorized to engage with deadly force! Take them down, but keep the wounded ones as safe as you can. We'll need to question them later." Mooney commanded.

Layla acknowledged the order with a slightly demented laugh. Amber could be heard crying and apologizing over the comms. Taz acknowledged the order as he and Amber continued to clear the area that would serve as their rally point should they need to retreat.

The firefight continued and soon the reinforcements for the gang members arrived. They burst forth from the building they were in and opened fire on Mooney and the others. Taz and Amber had already cleared their escape route. Amber was pouring her aura into Taz to help heal his bullet wounds. Taz could see the others struggling as they were forced into cover.

"Overwatch, we can't hold this position!" Taz exclaimed.

" _Delta Squad B you have reinforcements coming. Delta Squad A is enroute. You can pull out safely in ten minutes, over."_

"Overwatch, tell them not to come. We can take these guys!" Layla yelled as she rushed out into the open.

Closing her arms in front of her to guard her chest and face Layla leapt into the throng of bodies. Mooney had yelled at the girl to retreat but once it was obvious that Layla was determined to fight Mooney began to cover her. Taz joined and fired his pistols while closing the distance between him and Layla. Amber stayed behind a bit as she waited for an opening.

As Taz took one of the Shattered Hollow members down Amber went into action. She struck out with deadly efficiency. Her spears were a blur as they struck their targets with pinpoint accuracy. She hadn't broken her link to Taz as she continued to heal him by pouring her aura out into him.

Instead of feeling fatigued however Amber felt more alive as her levels dropped. She found that she was moving more quickly and her combat prowess was becoming more efficient. She moved between the Shattered Hollow members as they fired their weapons at her.

Weaving in and out of the gunfire Amber deflected some of the shots with her spears while dodging the others. The young woman jumped into the air and combined the two spears into one before landing with a devastating blow to a nearby gunfighter.

The fighting continued for the better part of five minutes. Taz had joined up with Layla and together they became a whirlwind of destruction. Weaving in and out of one another's movements they delivered harsh punishment to any who came within striking range.

Taz would start a combination and Layla would follow up. Layla would give Taz a setup and he'd execute the finishing blow. Their various martial art skills complimented each other as they fought. Soon enough the Shattered Hollow Thugs had been taken care of.

Officer Mooney gave Overwatch an update of their situation and the reinforcements were called off. The older woman looked over at the teenagers that were under her command. They were exhausted and she wasn't surprised.

"You three, we're done for the night." She told them.

"What do you mean; we've only checked out one of the target locations in this sector." Layla opposed as she tried to catch her breath.

"Yes we did, but we have obtained a lot of the gang members to bring in for questioning. Also you are all wiped." Mooney explained as she placed her rifle onto her back.

"While I could reprimand you for disobeying the retreat order, I'm actually impressed at your level of skill." The older woman continued.

"We worked as a team, that's what got us through this." Amber voiced with a slight blush on her cheek.

"I noticed that; you guys put trust in one another and your abilities. With very little indication or communication you fought as a unit. I'm surprised you were all able to bond so quickly after only knowing each other for only a few months' time." Mooney told them.

Team MTAL's members all just looked at one another and smiled brightly.

"It was Malyganya who brought us together as a team." Taz stated as he sat down and tried to steady his breathing.

"She just has this presence about her. I knew from the moment I met her that she was special. She inspires us to be better than we can be." Layla added.

"She lets us grow at our own pace and is always willing to help us, in both her own and our own way." Amber finished with a larger blush from before, embarrassed at how open she was with a stranger.

"You all respect your leader, that's a rare trait amongst youth today." Mooney stated.

"Overwatch, Delta Squad B is finished up here. Send in an extraction team, we have captives that'll need some medical attention, over." Mooney said into her comm.

 _"Overwatch acknowledges; extraction team is enroute. Delta Squad B, good job."_ Overwatch's voice, Malyganya's voice told her team with pride.

"Thank you for keeping us safe Overwatch; we couldn't have done it without you." Taz state placing his index and middle finger together and giving the drones a playful two-finger salute that he knew Malyganya would see.

 _Gorsentine – Desian Slums_

Team ORCJ along with Officer Sergeant James Doakes patrolled the slums carefully. Doakes had mahogany brown skin and a clean shaven head. He stood roughly five foot eight inches and was well over two hundred pounds. Most of this weight came from his solid and heavily defined muscular build. He had a neat trimmed mustache on his face which matched his presence well.

Doakes wore a customized combat exoskeleton. The armor was jet black with a silver trim. It was equipped with a shoulder mounted rocket launcher as well as a shoulder mounted minigun turret. On its left arm ended in a variable weapons system that could into many weapons or tools including a shield, bow, shotgun, machine gun, or plasma gun.

The exoskeleton's right arm ended in a hand. Doakes kept his right hand over his left most likely out of habit in case he had to quickly point and fire to help the recoil of his weapon. Attached to the waist of the exoskeleton was a scabbard that housed a sword of some sort.

From what Team ORCJ had observed it was most likely used with the shield function of the left arm. They had seen Doakes running a small systems test before they mobilized and the man was more than impressive. Unfortunately for Jett, Doakes was also strict and adhered to police cod and doctrine.

From the first interaction Doakes hadn't put up with any of Jett's antics. Jett it seemed had actually met his match. In the span of five minutes Doakes shut him down and put him in line. Orpheus and Roane were surprised. Doakes had somehow pulled to surface Jett's more serious side, the one they rarely saw.

The team under the designation, Omega Squad was going through the Desian Slums of the capital. Doakes had informed them that this was the heart of all gang-related activity and most likely the area where the Shattered Hollow stronghold was located. So far they had just been scoping out well known hangouts of the Shattered Hollow.

They received constant updates from their handler, Eagle Eye. When asked why they didn't have Malyganya, aka Overwatch assigned to them Doakes told them he didn't trust an amateur to watch his back. Eagle Eye had explained to them on a private frequency that before becoming an operator that they had been Doakes' field partner.

After an ambush due to bad intel they had been paralyzed and marked unfit for field duty. Doakes had fought tooth and nail to get Eagle Eye the operator's position and ever since then had only used Eagle Eye as his handler in the field. Coming up on night club the group came to a halt at Doakes' signal.

"Eagle Eye, what's the body count inside?" the older man asked.

 _"You're looking at a lot of civvies in there Doakes. I know it's a front for the Shattered Hand, but you can't go inside there, guns blazing."_ Eagle Eye replied.

"Try to narrow the search to the VIP section or basement. The plans for the building are public record so that should be easy." Doakes stated as he began to pace.

Crimson watched Doakes with curious interest. Doakes only seemed to relax when talking to Eagle Eye. While their handler had no problem being familiar with Doakes instead of using the assigned rank or unit designation that was standard practice. Orpheus walked up to Doakes and stopped the man's pacing.

"What do you want Omega-Two?" Doakes questioned.

"Sir, I believe we have a way in that won't put the civilians at risk but will also let us get to the Shattered Hollow members inside." Orpheus stated.

"Out with it then O-Two." Doakes commanded

"Use us, we can get in and have Eagle Eye guide us around. One of us can open an alternative entrance for you to get into. The club patrons and owner won't take much notice of a couple of teens wandering around." Orpheus explained his idea.

 _"I like this kid's way of thinking. I would've suggested the same thing myself but I know you like to take charge of all situations Doakes."_ Eagle Eye said with a small laugh.

Doakes growled softly into the radio before sighing.

"You'll be going in weaponless, even if you are just kids they won't let you carry weapons inside." Doakes warned them.

"That's fine, if things get out of control before we have a chance to get you inside then we're plenty capable of holding our own and just escaping." Roane stated joining in the conversation.

The young man had already removed his bow. He wrapped it in his overcoat which was then given to Doakes. Smirking slightly, Roane ran towards the entrance of the club and began talking to a group of girls before being invited inside with them.

"How the hell does he do that?" asked Orpheus as he shook his head and removed both his bow and quiver.

The young man adjusted his jacket before following after Roane. Jett and Crimson looked at one another before disarming together and handing their weapons to Doakes. The officer went into a nearby alleyway and waited, hoping the young men would be able to accomplish their objective quickly.

Inside the club the members of Team ORCJ felt the vibrations as music blasted around them. Orpheus scanned the crowd looking for any telltale signs that the people they were looking for were nearby. He felt a tapping on his shoulder and turned to see Roane pointing off to the corner.

"Crimson, shadow him and find the entrance to their hideout here." Orpheus issued the order with confidence.

Crimson nodded and slipped away into the crowd.

"Roane and Jett, you both look for escape routes. I'll look for a way to get Doakes in here." Orpheus told them.

Roane looked at Jett before motioning which direction he would take with a tilt of his head. Jett nodded and went to the other direction.

"Eagle Eye, Omegas two through five have all been delegated to a task. Four and Five are securing escape routes. Three is Shadowing a suspect and I'm looking for an entrance to give Omega-One. Any suggestions?" Orpheus asked as he mingled with the crowd so as not to draw suspicion to himself.

" _Omega-Two, I'm reading you and your signal is surprisingly clear. I can tell from your comm signal where you're at in the building. From the schematics I pulled there are four options available to you. All of them seem to have some kind of activity nearby so I leave it up to your discretion which one to use. Uploading the data to your scroll."_ Eagle Eye informed Orpheus.

There was a slight vibration in his pocket as the information came in. Pulling out the device Orpheus looked through the floor plan and three-dimensional grid that had been provided. His best bet was the freight elevator. The amount of blips was significantly lower in that area.

Making his way through the crowd Orpheus turned into a hallway and began to walk its length. There was a break in the hallway to his right that he took. A few steps in he came to a door that read "RESTRICTED! AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY!" and smiled.

On the wall nearby was a security pad. He attached his scroll to one of the data ports and contacted Eagle Eye for a remote hack. Seconds later the lock was released and the door opened. Orpheus continued down the hallway and after a few turns came upon the freight area.

There were four guards, normal everyday rent-a-cops on duty. On duty may have been a bit strong since they were sitting around playing cards. The young man smiled and gathered his aura about him. He wasn't a martial artist like Crimson or Jett but he had trained enough with them to improve his own hand-to-hand combat skills.

Moving stealthily between boxes the young huntsman-in-training got as close as he could, before making his move against the guards. Orpheus leapt from behind a box and with a swift kick to one of the guards' neck knocked the man to the side and into a stack of empty crates.

 _Alrighty, that's one._ Orpheus thought as the other guards sprang into action. Orpheus moved with swift and precise motions as he closed the distance between him and the nearest guard. Shocking the older man with his agility Orpheus quickly dispatched his target with two punches to the stomach before slamming a powerful right hook at the doubled-over guard.

The last two guards slowed down as they grew wary of the boy who had just defeated their comrades so easily. The two of them pulled out stun batons before advancing slowly on Orpheus. The young man shifted his gaze from left to right as the guards tried to box him in. Smiling slightly Orpheus moved to the right and decided to engage the smaller of the two guards first.

Dodging the initial wild swings Orpheus caught the man's wrist. He immediately felt the strength difference between them as the man pushed down on him. Orpheus thought quickly and turned around before leaning forward and using the man's weight and momentum against him. Throwing the first guard into the second one gave Orpheus the time he needed to pick up the dropped stun batons before using them on his would be attackers.

"Omega-Two to Omega Squad, I have secured entrance for Omega-One. Give me a status report, over." Orpheus spoke into his comm as he sent the location of the freight elevator to Doakes.

" _Omega-three reporting, I'm inside the Shattered Hollow hideout. There is a hidden wall near the main floor that leads to a passage that opens to a basement. So far I've counted almost thirty enemies."_ Orpheus heard Crimson state.

" _Eagle Eye to Omega Squad, we can't have you engaging the enemy here. There are too many civilians."_ Their handler reported.

" _Omega-One to Omegas Four and Five, can you guys clear the civilians?"_ Doakes asked.

" _We can but we'll lose the element of surprise on the enemy. As it is now they don't know we know of their base but if we suddenly clear out their customers then they'll know something is up. They might try to scrub the hideout and then we'll get nothing."_ Roane answered.

" _We could attack them before that happens."_ Jett countered.

"Didn't you hear what Omega-Three said, there are thirty of them if not more. We are outnumbered almost three to one. Even if we take some of them down the others could destroy any information stored here." Orpheus shot.

" _Do that, set off something to get the civilians out of here then attack them."_ Crimson immediately stated.

" _Omega-Three, what are you talking about? We can't win against their numbers."_ Roane stated.

" _Remember our second trial against Professor T, there is more than one way to win. Our objective is information and we have two ways of getting it. Either from documents and files located here or from the gang members."_ Crimson told his team.

" _I get what you're saying. The best source is obviously the records they keep. With your semblance you can find where they're keeping the information and then get copies of it."_ Jett finished Crimson's thought with enthusiasm in his voice.

"Well, Eagle Eye you heard the plan. Can you give us a numbers run on our chances?" Doakes asked. He had already entered the building and was standing next to Orpheus who equipped his bow and quiver.

" _Given the team's ability your chances of success are in the eightieth percentile. Chances of civilian fallout are less than five percent. I'm giving you the all the green light to execute the plan."_ Eagle Eye affirmed

"Alright everyone, we'll regroup at the freight area and rearm. We'll sync mission clocks then proceed." Doakes told the rest of the squad over the radio.

" _Negative Omega-One, I'm going to get a head start on the data retrieval. We don't know how much time we'll have once the fighting starts. It's more prudent to get a head start on this."_ Crimson answered.

"Omega-three, you're in enemy territory unarmed. I highly suggest you come back and rearm." Orpheus said into his comm.

" _Negative, I'll be fine unarmed. You guys just give me the time I need to get the data. Omega-three out."_ Crimson stated before shutting off his comm.

"God damn son of a loner bitch whore!" Orpheus swore.

Doakes chuckled at Orpheus' outburst. Roane arrived a few seconds later and caught his coat and bow before slipping into the garment and adjusting his bow.

"He'll be fine Orphe- I mean Omega-Two" Roane stated with a sheepish smile.

"That's not it, I thought we had gotten past this whole lone wolf bullshit." Orpheus sighed shaking his head.

"Don't stress about it. He's gotten better at working with us as a team. He needs to stretch his legs a little from time to time." Roane conversed.

Jett arrived moments later and caught his chakrams that Doakes tossed to him. Placing the disc-shaped weapons on his waist Jett turned with a smirk.

"Let's give them hell boys!" he exclaimed before rushing through a nearby door.

Doakes shook his head and motioned for Orpheus and Roane to take one of the other doors while he went to the door that Orpheus had taken to get to the freight area. Orpheus looked at Roane who smiled and nodded with silent understanding before the two bowman proceeded with their mission.

 _Shattered Hollow Club Hideout - West Section_

Jett raced through the hallways. He was free of Doakes' overpowering presence. The man had some strange effect on him that forced his serious side to the surface. Dashing through the hall Jett found a fire alarm and pulled it. The sound of loud bells instantly began to ring. _If that doesn't cause them to evacuate, then I don't know what will._ He thought to himself with a smile.

"Eagle Eye, I need you to get in contact with the medical services and fire departments. Let them know that everything is safe here and that their response to this alarm would do more harm than good." Jett told his handler as he began running again.

" _Acknowledge Omega-Five, but couldn't you have just found an inconspicuous way to evacuate the civilians?"_ Eagle Eye replied with a question.

"I definitely could, but where the fuck's the fun in that?" he replied with a rhetorical question.

Suddenly a door to Jett's right opened. He saw three members of the Shattered Hollow exit. One was equipped with an axe, another with a pistol-knife hybrid of some sort, and the final one had a pair of nunchaku. They looked down both ends of the hall before noticing Jett and charging at him.

Pulling out his chakram Jett transformed the weapons into their sword form before clashing with the young men. The hall was spacious which put Jett at a slight disadvantage since the three gang members could all attack him at once fairly easily. Deflecting a strike from the axe wielder Jett kicked out at the man with the nunchaku.

He landed a solid hit before having to lock blades with the knistol wielder. Pushing against the man Jett was able to create a small bit of breathing room for himself. The axe wielder and the knistol fighter both charged him. The three of them started a deadly dance of blades as they weaved in and out of one another.

Jett was able to block one attack from the knistol fighter but received a blunt cut from the axeman. Stumbling backwards from the blow Jett was attacked from behind with a solid strike. The young man wielding the nunchaku had recovered and slipped behind him.

Jett was boxed in with enemies on either side of him. That was fine with him. Gathering his aura about Jett applied cyclones of air to the edged of his swords. The three men rushed him but Jett was ready. Moving to the left he decided to take care of the nunchaku fighter.

With the aid of his semblance Jett attacked quickly. His swords sliced up, down, left, right, and diagonally over a dozen times in less than a second. The blades, enhanced by the air cut deeper into their target than normal. The man had virtually no aura, either that or it wasn't unlocked since after the twenty-second cut he was covered in lacerations from both the biting winds and the blades.

Spinning around Jett kicked the man in the center of his chest and sent him crashing down the hall. The axe and knistol wielders froze in fear. They had never faced an actual warrior before. Jett could tell that the best they had to offer was a street brawl. Deactivating his semblance Jett transformed his swords into chakrams before throwing the discs.

The attack hit both men in the forehead and subsequently knocked them out. Shaking his head in disappointment Jett silently continued on. Running past more doors leading to what were obviously empty rooms Jett tried to find more ways to cause mayhem. Turning the corner Jett found himself at the back door of the VIP area.

He walked up to the door, for some reason he was cautious about the way he moved. I became readily apparent however when a giant boot burst through the door caught him in the face and sent Jett flying backwards down the hall. Jett crashed into the wall and immediately felt more pressure applied to his body.

Coughing up heavily Jett felt bile erupt from his throat. Opening his eyes Jett saw his assailant was a shirtless muscled white haired man in army pants and boots. One boot was currently planted on his chest while the second one made its way to the side of Jett's head.

The attack sent Jett crashing off to the side as he tumbled down the hallway. Jett struggled to his feet after receiving the disorienting attack. As he regained his footing however he saw that his attacker was rapidly closing the distance between them. Jett's attacker initiated a sliding kick as he closed the distance.

The attack was obvious and easily avoided. Jumping forward Jett took out his chakrams as he flipped and prepared to throw them.

"HEEEEYYYYAA!" A loud angry voice exclaimed as s door to Jett's left opened.

A larger version of the man Jett had started fighting with stepped out and grabbed Jett out of the air before slamming the teenager into the ground. Jett felt all the air escape his body from the impact and hurriedly tried to regain it as he was lifted and thrown. As his body sailed through the air Jett was only half aware that the first twin was in the process of attacking him with a flying straight kick.

The attack connected and sent Jett back down the hall from which he had been thrown. Jett was only half-aware as he activated his semblance and cushioned the impact he made with the ground using the wind he summoned. Jett vigorously tried to shake away the staggering feeling he was experiencing.

Getting to his feet once more Jett had barely enough time to raise his guard as the first twin immediately began to bombard him with various levels of kicks. Jett was put on the defensive as he blocked kick after kick with the flat of his blades. Twisting his body to the side Jett avoided a kick and tried to slice the hanging limb.

What he failed to realize was that his back was to a door, that the door was opposite the passage that led to the VIP area, and that the second twin was nowhere to be found.

"HEEEEYYYYAA!" the telltale call of the larger twin was bellowed as he burst from the door behind Jett and launched the young swordsman from one end to the other with a mighty kick to the back. Jett crashed through the remains of the VIP door as his swords fell out of his hand.

Landing awkwardly on a couch Jett caught his breath as he stood. He was disarmed but not defeated. The small twin came through the door first. Catching sight of Jett, he immediately engaged him in combat. Jett caught the man's kick and heaved him backwards using his semblance to help augment his throw. The kick-fighter merely back-flipped off the throw before countering with a double kick to Jett's chest.

Jett clenched his teeth from the pain of the attack but didn't stagger back instead locking his arms around the man's legs. His left arm was over the top with the right arm underneath. With a violent pull Jett sent the man into a spin before slamming his fist into the man's leg.

Jet heard the snap as his fist broke the bones in his opponent's lower leg. He had put as much power as he could behind the blow even using his semblance to enhance it. His opponent crash to the ground and howled in pain. Creating a sphere of wind in one hand Jett punched his free hand into the orb before slamming the wind enhanced punch into the fighters face. The force of blow forced the man's head to turn in a one-eight degree half circle.

Breathing heavily Jett looked up and saw that the man's twin had just entered to see his brother's death. Jett straightened himself as best he could as he got into his fighting stance.

"So, wanna just call it quits?" Jett asked.

"BREEEEEYYYAAA!" the man cried out before charging Jett.

"Guess that's a no." Jett stated before running to meet the charge.

The large man swung at Jett who ducked, avoiding the blow. Jett countered with two swift heavy blows to the man's abdomen causing him to double over slightly. Stepping on the man's leg Jett climbed up and used his targets shoulder to get airborne before spinning and kicking the man in the square of the back. His opponent flew forward before crashing face-first into a table made of glass which shattered on impact.

Landing on the ground Jett quickly looked around for his weapons which he had dropped during the initial crash into the VIP area. He spotted one of the swords and made a dash for it. Before he could reach it though something crashed into his body and sent the young man tumbling to the ground. his opponent, the large white haired man had thrown a small chair at him.

Jett groaned as he stood up and tried to regain his balance. _What the fuck is with this guy? Who in their right mind just throws a chair in the middle of a fight?_ Jett questioned mentally as the man in front of him began to charge. Jett lifted one of his feet and quickly formed a tight ball of air beneath it before stomping down onto the floor.

As the sphere popped Jett was sent rocketing forward. He and his opponent both landed heave right handed punches on one another as they clashed but neither seemed to stagger from the blows. Jett was quicker on the draw than his opponent as he started to deliver a vicious onslaught of punches against the large man. His opponent grunted in pain and attempted to punch him but Jett ducked and avoided the strike with ease before covering his fist in air once more. Pulling his fist back Jett let out a loud cry before punching his fist through the man's face and out the back of his skull.

"Shit, I should've thought of a witty one liner before doing that." Jett swore as he removed his arm from the man bloody mass of a head.

"How about 'Surprise Mother Fucker!'?" Jett heard a voice say from behind before he was shot in the back and sent crashing towards the main floor.

 _Shattered Hollow Club Hideout - East Section_

Roane and Orpheus walked through hallway with Orpheus taking point. According to the schematics they had been given the control booth was nearby. They were going to use it to get the civilians to leave. That had been their plan until they fire alarms suddenly went off.

"Eagle Eye, what the hell is going on?!" Orpheus asked as various rooms began to empty of half-naked men and women. The east side was also known as the pleasure section. Orpheus and Roane had taken refuge inside of a nearby room while the halls flooded with bodies.

" _Omega-Five set off the fire alarms to evacuate the civilians within the facility. I've been instructed to redirect all emergency response personnel away from the area. If you continue along the path you were taking, you'll be able to get to the hidden passage Omega-Three took to get to the basement."_ Eagle Eye answered.

"Copy that Eagle Eye, Omega Two and Four will change directives." Roane acknowledged.

"Fucking Jett, does he have no sense of tact?!" Orpheus cried out.

"Hey, at least he's consistently amusing." Roane said with a laugh.

"Also the results speak for themselves, he did get the civilians out and faster than we could have. Now we can focus on giving Crimson some back up." The larger teenager continued.

"Yea I got, just wish Jett didn't have to get so flashy all the damn time." Orpheus said with a sigh.

The two bowmen continued along the path until they came to the hidden door. Crimson had marked the location so it was easy for them to get inside. Walking down the corridor Roane notched an arrow made of silver energy. As they came upon the finally step he released the projectile. Seconds later there was a soft impact followed by a groan.

"What was that?" Orpheus asked.

"I have my semblance active. I can see the auras of everyone down here. Most of them are fairly weak. There are a few that are above average in size and density." Roane informed his leader.

"OK since you can see them before they become a threat, you take point." Orpheus instructed.

"Most of them are moving to one point." Roane observed.

"Which point is that?" Orpheus asked.

"They are all coming here. I think they're trying to defend the entrance or escape. Either way we need to decide if we're fighting here or moving in." Roane said as the various auras closed in.

"There are only three entrances to this room besides the staircase behind us. The auras, how many of the strong ones are coming this way?" Orpheus inquired.

"If you mean how many of them will we probably have to seriously fight, I'd say about seven or so. The rest we can handle with a few arrows." Roane answered.

"We'll make our stand here. We need them to think we've come for their records. If they hold us here it'll mean Crimson has less enemies to deal with." Orpheus decided.

The room was fairly spacious and would give them some wiggle room to maneuver if they had too. The two bowmen choose the two blind spot corners from the direction that most of the enemies were approaching from. Roane held up his fingers and began to countdown the first wave.

Pulling an arrow from his quiver Orpheus activated his semblance as he and Roane linked their souls together. The first wave of Shattered Hollow burst through and began to spread out and look for intruders. Before they could reach the other exits however Roane and Orpheus began to fire their arrows one after another at them.

The men and women of various ages dropped to the ground. This wave had been filled with mere fodder. Orpheus strummed the singular string of his bow with a steady beat. He wouldn't be able to fully utilize his semblance without shifting to lyre form but for the purposes of their objective the steady beat would be enough.

"We got some tougher ones this time around." Roane warned.

Seconds later another wave of gang members came. This time however some of them poured forth from one of the other exits. Orpheus was quick on the draw as he released three shots in less than two seconds. Roane not to be outdone fire four concurrent shots.

Of the seven targets hit only five went down from the initial attacks. Roane cried out and began to fight with his bow as a makeshift staff. Orpheus hadn't given up shooting with his bow as he downed target after target with his shots. Smacking away one of the stronger enemies Roane put an arrow into the person's spine before turning to assist Orpheus.

"Crimson's count was off, there are more like fifty people down here. We've taken care of roughly half but there are some moving further in, probably to destroy evidence or they are leaders making an escape. Either way we've got about a three-minute breather before the next wave." Roane gave Orpheus an update of their situation.

Orpheus nodded and closed his eyes. His link with Roane hadn't depreciated by much. Roane had already gone over the limit for prolonged use of his semblance. If he hadn't been linked with Orpheus, he would've already started to damage his eyesight. Looking around the room Orpheus sighed and slid down against a nearby wall.

"We'll just have to hold out until Crimson gets here. That's our only objective for now." Orpheus stated.

"Yea, that and you know staying alive." Roane quipped with a smile.

"Jett is starting to rub off on you in the wrong way." Orpheus said shaking his head.

Roane merely smiled and laughed as the next wave of enemies closed in on them. They rushed into the room and were immediately met a bombardment of projectiles. The arrows that Roane and Orpheus used were nonlethal and merely stunned or knocked out their targets. Roane's face lost its smile as three of the stronger auras made their way towards them.

"We got three tough ones coming. Get ready." Roane cautioned as he formed three arrows and notched them all.

Orpehus nodded and pulled out and arrow as he waited for the enemy to arrive. Suddenly a flash of light filled the room causing Orpheus to shield his eyes. Roane however was unaffected. With his semblance he saw through the deception and release his arrows. There was a cry of pain and the light vanished to reveal a young woman, a girl really laying in the room.

"You bastard ass-fucker, you shot me in the fucking leg!" the girl shouted at Roane.

"Name calling won't win you popularity points young lady." Roane replied pointing his bow at her.

"You think an arrowless bow is gonna scare me, ass-fucker!" the girl shouted.

In one swift motion Roan created an arrow and shot it. The arrowhead planted itself in the girl's opposite leg and caused her to cry out in pain.

"Ass-fucker, ass-fucker, god dammit I said 'ass-fucker'!" the girl swore repeatedly.

Only then did the two bowmen realize that she hadn't been insulting Roane's sexuality but was trying to get her gang members to ambush them. Roane reacted first and turned but was hit by a wraith-like shadow that carried him down one of the halls and away from Orpheus.

"Roane!" Orpheus cried out as he let loose a shaft down the hall after the wraith.

Orpheus then turned to the girl and glared at her.

"Where did that thing take him?!" he asked angrily as he notched an arrow and point it at her.

"Like I'm gonna tell you shit." She spat before trying to stand.

Orpheus released the arrow which pierced the girls knee. The cry of pain her lungs brought forth was loud enough, strong enough, and damn near creepy enough to wake the dead. Orpheus had never tried to intentionally hurt somebody before. He had never had a team to protect before either.

Any amount of fight the girl had left in her was drained as she began to cry like a child. She called for her parents to save her. Orpheus lowered his bow as he saw a bit of himself in the girl. He regretted losing control the way he did.

He tried to approach her but was tackled to the ground by another person. Before he could mount any kind of defense Orpheus received multiple punches to the face and chest. Quickly shifting his semblance to both the target and the girl Orpheus felt his attacker stop the assault after a few more blows.

Kicking the person off Orpheus was able to get a better look at the person. The young man stood almost six feet tall. He had extremely pale skin, with fair facial features. His spiky black hair had a few odd pink strands apparent. His eyes were stranger than his hair however. They were pink irises with black spikes coming from the pupil. He wore black jeans, a pink t-shirt with a skull in the middle, a black shearling jacket and pink combat boots.

"I'm only going to give you one chance. Surrender or get put down." Orpheus warned as he pulled an arrow from his quiver.

The man was quiet as he pulled out a short sword and dagger.

"Orpheus Argento." The young man said with slight disdain in his voice.

"He doesn't look like much, are we sure he can help us." The young man spoke looking off to his left.

"I said surrender, we don't have to fight." Orpheus notched the arrow trying to intimidate the young man.

"Deacon Protocol was activated. He's not our target but he may have insight we need. Torture is probably our best bet." The nameless young man continued to talk to himself apparently.

"Sa-sas-Sasayaki, what are you doing. Take him…" the girl from before tried to speak before losing consciousness.

Orpheus looked from the girl to Sasayaki and narrowed his eyes at the young man.

"Ok, I've warned you, time to take you down!" Orpheus exclaimed as he released the arrow.

It was at that point Orpheus realized he was in trouble. Sasayaki moved like liquid and avoided the arrow with ease. Closing the distance between them Sasayaki struck out with furious strikes against Orpheus. The bowman blocked his attacker's blades using the arms of his weapon but it was easy to tell he was outmatched in melee combat.

Striking out with his bow as a staff Orpheus was surprised when Sasayaki ran the length of his weapon before back-flipping and kicking him in the face. The link was still active so Orpheus knew that both Sasayaki and the girl were feeling his pain.

"He hurt us again? How did that happen? We hit him not the other way around." Sasayaki stated as he wiped blood from his lip.

Orpheus smirked and took out a handful of arrows. Releasing them one after another Orpheus made sure to sever the link before the impact of each projectile before forcing a connection at the end. Sasayaki was blown back by the miniature explosions before falling to the ground.

The surprise attack had left him open and vulnerable. Orpheus smiled and for once was grateful to Crimson for all those intense training sessions he had recommended for the team. Running up to Sasayaki, Orpheus slammed his bow into the side of his targets head with three swift consecutive strikes. The would be assailant dropped to the ground unconscious as his comrade had before him. Orpheus looked at the two of them and sighed.

"We could've done this peacefully you know." He said before restraining the two gang members. Turning to the hallway where Roane had been taken, Orpheus made sure the two were secured before going in after his teammate.

 _Shattered Hollow Club Hideout – Basement Storage_

Roane cried out as he was thrown to the ground. The wraith floated above the ground for a few seconds. Everything below its waist was a wispy trail while its upper torso was heavily muscled. The wraith began to shimmer before being replaced by a woman, in her early thirties from the look of her.

"So you're the one who controls that thing. Is it odd becoming a guy for a short period of time?" Roane asked as he formed an arrow.

The woman smiled and pulled a long pole from her back.

"Jaina will have much fun with you." The woman said, her voice smooth and sweet.

Roane suspected that if he was attracted to woman he might even find her attractive and fall for her charms. Smiling the bowman began to release fights of blue arrows at Jaina. The woman smile back and deflected his attacks with her pole.

The distance between them closed and Jaina began to swing the pole at Roane's face and torso with great ferocity. Blocking one of the attacks with his bow Roane countered with an elbow to Jaina's face before jumping back a full step and shooting two arrows into the woman.

Before they could hit however Jaina shifted into her wraith for and avoided the attacks by becoming intangible. Releasing a blood-curdling screech Jaina rushed at Roane and swiped at him with her clawed hands. Roane was hit three times before he was able to hit Jaina with a red arrow.

Screeching in pain, Jaina flew into a pile of crates and writhed on the floor. Unlike the red fire arrows Roane used with dust vials these red arrows had scattered near impact, like a shotgun. Being at point-blank range meant that Jaina had taken the full brunt of the attack. The wraith lifted itself off the ground and bared its teeth at Roane.

A scythe materialized in its hand and it charged the bowman. Roane avoided the attack by leaning back and countered with a flip kick. As his leg passed harmlessly through the creature Roane smiled because he was able to hook his foot onto the handle of the scythe and tried to pull it from Jaina's grasp.

What he hadn't expected though was for Jaina to still be tangible in other areas as she was pulled along and attacked by releasing the scythe, grabbing hold of Roane and biting deep into his left shoulder. Roane's aura did little to protect him as Jaina's teeth pierced his skin.

Roane clenched his teeth and quickly turned his bow on himself. Forming a black arrow Roane shot himself and subsequently Jaina through the chest. The angle of the arrow however passed mostly through Roane's muscle and fatty tissue while piercing Jaina's lung, or at least the spot where her lungs were located.

The wraith howled and pulled back releasing Roane and shifting back to its human form. Roane was quick with his administration of first aid as he formed three pale green arrows and stabbed them into all his wounds. He could feel them closing as the muscle pulled itself together. His aura had taken a large blow however and he knew he'd have to start using dust based projectiles to conserve his strength.

Pulling out two vials, one white and one blue Roane popped them open and poured the dust over his hand and weapon. Jaina was breathing heavily and with difficulty as she tried to remove the arrow from her chest.

"It's not coming out anytime soon. You're not going to be able to win this fight with only half a lung left. Surrender yourself to me. You'll be given medical care and your day in court." Roane offered keeping his bow at the ready.

"You fools know nothing about us or our ways. You think we'll just surrender to you, government lackeys. You kids think you're the good guys and stopping the Shattered Hollow Gang is noble but let me tell you something, you're the problem not the solution." Jaina managed to gasp with much difficulty.

"I don't agree with you. You blow up innocent civilian homes and business. Your collateral damage destroys lives. You can't honestly believe what you're doing is right." Roane said with a slight hint of anger.

"You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. If we can save a million lives at the cost of a thousand, then that is acceptable. The only way to win is to force the government to change by any means necessary." Jaina told Roane before finally ripping the arrow out.

This act however had the adverse effect of ripping out pieces of lung, muscle. And even bone shards. The arrow head had been heavily barbed. It was at the point of being intricately embedded deep within Jaina's body. Now she was leaking blood from a gaping hole in her chest.

"Let's test your morality then. You have choices here. You could save Jaina with one of your green arrows but that would only let her continue to fight you and put your life in danger. Your second choice is you can let Jaina bleed out and die, this however means that you let someone die who you granted asylum and offered protection for surrender." Jaina spat out a globule of blood as her body collapsed.

"So **hero** , what's it going to be?" the dying woman asked.

Roane answered her question with silence before notching an arrow and firing it.

 _Shattered Hollow Club Hideout – Basement Achieves_

Crimson ran throughout the maze-like corridors of the basement. He had heard the alarms go off but since he had a head start the young man was already closing in on what looked like an archives room. Inside he saw a terminal set up with someone furiously typing away at it.

"Shitty shit bastard shit. I'll send this information along to one of the other cells then scrub the database. They won't get anything from us." The woman at the terminal said nervously.

Crimson snuck up behind the woman. With one swift motion he wrapped his hands around her head and twisted it to the side snapping the woman's neck.

"Eagle Eye, this is Omega-Three. I'm attaching my scroll to a terminal I found inside the enemy base. Get what you can from it." Crimson said as he plugged his scroll into a data port.

" _Eagle Eye to Omega-Three, I've receive your request and have started a transfer. Please hold connection for the next few minutes."_ Eagle Eye told Crimson.

The scarf-wearing young man heard movement from the hall behind him and swore. He could tell that there were many targets. His semblance might hide him from them but it wouldn't make him intangible. If he took one of them out, then the others would be alerted to his presence and then he'd be forced to fight anyway.

Crimson looked at the designs on the back of his hands as memories of his training with Tenebrous came to mind.

 _ **Tenebrous blocked a strike from Crimson before retaliating with a powerful kick. Dodging the strike Crimson leapt forward and struck out with two punches before spinning and kicking Tenebrous in the face. Suddenly The older man's dragon tattoo began to glow.**_

 _ **There was a flash of light and before he could react Crimson found himself thrown to the ground. Tenebrous laughed as he walked over to the young man.**_

" _ **You're getting faster; I'll give you that**_ _ ** _ **Crimson**_." The blind-folded martial artist stated offering to help Crimson to his feet.**_

" _ **What's the deal with that tattoo of yours?" Crimson asked as he stood up ignoring the hand that Tenebrous had offered.**_

" _ **This old thing? It is nothing but a relic from a bygone era." Tenebrous answered.**_

" _ **It glows, and each of its colors do something different. You obviously have more power than you're showing." Crimson stated.**_

" _ **You are right about that Crimson. I do have a lot more power but there is always a price for power such as this." Tenebrous replied.**_

" _ **What price do you pay for it?" Crimson questioned.**_

" _ **It doesn't matter; I'll pay it when the time comes." Tenebrous said.**_

" _ **What if I wanted to gain that kind of power?" Crimson asked as Tenebrous began to lead him away.**_

" _ **Why would you seek this power? You are already skilled enough." Tenebrous stated with a slight edge to his voice.**_

" _ **Being skilled enough isn't enough anymore. Now my life is tied to my team. I have to be able to protect them." Crimson stated with a serious tone.**_

 _ **Tenebrous turned to face Crimson and removed his scarf to reveal a wide smile.**_

" _ **You're growing Crimson. I'll grant you your wish but know that the price for power such as mine is your own life. Knowing that you'll be putting that on the line do you still desire this power?" Tenebrous asked.**_

 _ **Crimson removed his own scarf revealing his battle scared face.**_

" _ **I've always risked my life in everything I've done. This'll be no different."**_

His markings glowed soft blue and Crimson could feel the power begin to course through his veins. Tenebrous had told him the history of the tattoo. Thousands of years ago when dust had first been discovered the first men had found primitive but effective way to use it. It was made into an explosive powder that could kill the Grimm. As man grew so did their understanding of dust and the ways to use it as a weapon.

It was an early artist however who discovered that by mixing dust into clothing it could function as a nearly unlimited resource. This practice became archaic as dust powered weaponry became the norm. There was however a lesser known use for dust. By mixing dust with tattoo ink it was possible to imbue somebodies very soul with dust.

The downside however was that every time the dust related powers were activated the user's life was severely shortened. The high risk made the practice even less favorable than ever. There was one way to circumvent this however, because the dust was mixed with a person's soul the tattoos could be transferred from one person to another by way of soul transference.

The more souls within a tattoo the less life it would take from its current host. Tenebrous had told Crimson that he was currently the ninety-ninth host for the spirit dragon tattoo, Seiryu. Along with the original powers Seiryu bestowed, Tenebrous also had access to the souls of the previous hosts.

During their training Tenebrous had begun a delayed version of the soul transference from himself to Crimson. At first the symbols had merely been two straight lines but the more Crimson trained and pushed himself the more the symbols began to change shape.

With his current level of access, the power that Seiryu provided, Crimson could temporarily multiply his aura levels. Tenebrous had warned him to double it in a pinch but go no further than that. Crimson knew that Seiryu's power was his ace and closed off his connection to it which made the symbols lose their glow.

Seconds later three people in militaristic clothing appeared. They each carried a weapon of some sort. Crimson ignored what they held and charged in unarmed. Dodging the attacks his assailants launched Crimson took swift precision strikes against them.

Aura protected against outside forces trying to damage the body. It was little use against the body being used against itself. Crimson took advantage of this as he bent arms back and broke legs before finishing off the wounded trio with vicious neck snapping. Two more fighters entered the room as Crimson stood up.

"Eagle Eye, what's the status on that transfer?" Crimson asked as the hairs on the back of his neck began to rise.

These two weren't like the first three that had entered. They were dangerous and Crimson's body knew it. The one on the left carried a circular spiked shield and was dressed in a navy blue jacket over a dark blue t-shirt with dark colored pants and boots. The one on the right was shirtless. Both of his arms with cybernetic prosthetic from the shoulders down. He wore the same colored dark pants and boots as his partner.

"OK, so which one of you want to die first?" Crimson asked.

The duo said nothing as they rushed in at Crimson. The white-haired fighter replied in kind and met their charge. Meeting halfway between the door and the terminal Crimson began to fight the men. He tackled the one with the shield first and quickly ripped away the defensive weapon before throwing it off to the side.

Crimson was kicked off to the side by the cyborg but quickly rolled to his feet. Activating his semblance Crimson disappeared from sight. The duo looked around in confusion before standing with their backs to one another. Suddenly the cyborg was kicked off to the side. His partner turned around and was hit squarely by a right hook to the jaw.

Crimson didn't let up as he followed the first punch with a left cross. His target countered with a left-right cross combination. Spinning off the hit of the second punch Crimson tripped the man with a sweeping leg kick. His opponent fell to the ground and in seconds Crimson was over him delivering punch after punch to the man's face.

Crimson felt the powerful blow from behind as he was throw off his target and sent falling forward. Rolling with the fall Crimson stood to find the cyborg had smashed him with the shield from earlier. Had his aura levels been depleted that blow surely would have killed him.

Stepping in to face the cyborg Crimson avoided the shield that was tossed and started off with a powerful but wide right-handed punch. He didn't realize how dazed the blow from before had made him as he stumbled forward a bit from the failed attack.

The cyborg took advantage of this opening by punching Crimson with a power left hook before kicking him in the chest and forcing the young man backwards a few inches. As Crimson stumbled the human combatant he faced joined in and smacked him with his shield, which had been recovered from the previous toss. The cyborg got in another punch, this time a left straight before Crimson countered with two quick rights.

As Crimson pulled back for a third strike his wrist was caught by the cyborg's human companion. A powerful kick to the side of his knee forced Crimson to the ground as the human ricocheted his shield off the ground and into Crimson's chest knocking the huntsman-in-training off his feet a few inches.

With his body airborne, slight as it was, Crimson spun himself around before performing a perfect butterfly kick and sending both attackers to opposite sides of the room. The cyborg was the first to recover and so he was the first one Crimson engaged. The man-machine hybrid struck first with an uppercut.

Crimson quickly countered this with a right-left jab combo. He tried to follow up with another set of jabs but the cyborg blocked his attacks easily. Countering with a spinning elbow strike the cyborg simultaneously dodged Crimson left straight as his own attack caught Crimson across the side of his face.

Crimson stumbled back as his cyborg opponent tried to grab him. This attempt however was stopped by the glowing blue hands that caught the cyborg's wrists. Crimson looked at the older man as he struggled against the grips that held him.

"You caught me without my weapon. I'll have to augment my strength to match yours. Let's see how you handle me when our physical prowess is on an even level." Crimson said as he applied pressure to the man's wrists and began crushing them.

The metallic crunch as the cybernetic limbs snapped under pressure was interrupted as Crimson was knocked backwards from the impact of the shield hitting his face. The human combatant was back in the fray and followed up his attack by drop kicking Crimson in the chest.

Stunned from the initial blow, Crimson was knocked back by the kick but quickly recovered and caught his assailant with a counter combo consisting of three punches to the face before finishing with a spinning jump kick to the torso. As Crimson landed the Cyborg began to attack him, his hands replaced by blades.

 _He can reconfigure his arms if they get damaged. Time to remove this threat once and for all._ Crimson thought as he ducked and avoided being skewered on the blades. Rushing in Crimson released a flurry of punches on the cyborg's torso. The punches got faster and faster as the blue glow intensified and even enveloped Crimson's arms.

"Seiryu, Kage no Panchi!" Crimson cried out as his arms and fists became a blur of motion.

The cyborg was unable to react to the ferocity of the attack as the sounds of bones breaking began to fill the room. Crimson however didn't let up and continued his onslaught even after the rib bones of his target punctured the skin and were pushed through the cyborg's back.

Pulling back both hands, Crimson cried out and finished of cyborg off with an open palmed strike to the face. The enhanced blow was so powerful the man's head exploded from impact and sent the cyborg sliding across the room. It was seconds later Crimson felt the effects of using Seiryu's power. The effects Tenebrous had warned him about.

There was still another threat in the room and this one wasn't going to give him any time to breathe. The shield-wielding fighter charged Crimson and hit him with a backhanded fist across the face. Crimson stumbled, still weakened from the power use.

He knew he'd have to hold out until he could counter attack. Moving in the young huntsman-in-training tried to put pressure on his foe. Crimson's attack may not have had the same power as before but that didn't mean he couldn't fight at all. Punching out with a right, Crimson tried to feint to the left.

His attempt failed as the man in front of him caught him with three swift punches and a sweeping kick. Crimson was taken off his feet but rather than crash to the ground he was able to steady himself on his hands and countered with two kicks to the man's abdomen. The break in combat flow gave Crimson the opening he needed as he stood and rushed his opponent.

Two kicks to the face and a right hook to the jaw cause the man to stumble but he regained himself and countered Crimson's attack by slamming his shield into the young fighter. Crimson could feel his strength returning and backed away a bit. The hit he had received had been felt and he knew that until he had recovered he needed to conserve his aura as much as possible.

Ducking another shield strike Crimson countered with two swift body blows before trying to hammer in a left cross. This attempt was thwarted by a surprise knee to the stomach courtesy of his target. Interrupted, Crimson was left wide open to the punishing combination of right punches and shield enhance left blows that were quickly and accurately deployed against him.

The man grabbed Crimson by the neck with one hand and lifted the teenager off his feet. Tilting his head from side to side the man inspected Crimson with mute curiosity. Crimson smirked beneath his scarf as the weakened feeling finally faded. Knowing how it would affect him Crimson released the power once more but only in his left arm.

"Ryu ga waga teki o kurau!" Crimson exclaimed as a small blue dragon head surrounded his open palm.

Quickly striking out Crimson grabbed the man's neck and clamped his hands around the windpipe. The ethereal blue dragon's jaws bit deeply into the man in a mimicked motion and together both Crimson and the Dragon ripped the man's throat apart with a violent pull. Blood sprayed over Crimson as he was released from his dead opponent's grasp.

Releasing the power Crimson grabbed his arm in pain. _Double it but go no further he warned._ Crimson thought angrily while clenching his teeth. Because the transfer of Seiryu was incomplete Crimson had to supplement the power use with a small portion of his own life force.

Walking over to the terminal Crimson active his comm.

"Eagle Eye, what's the status of the transfer?" Crimson asked the team's handler.

" _Eagle Eye to Omega-Three, the transfer is complete."_ Eagle Eye acknowledged to Crimson.

" _My scans read that there are very few gang members left. Omega-Two and Omega-Four are both in the basement with you. Omega-One and Omega-Five are in the main area. I suggest you all regroup there while I scramble an evac."_ Eagle Eye transmitted to the entire team.

Crimson heard the various acknowledgments from everyone but Jett and Doakes.

"Omega-One, come in. Omega-Five do you read me?" Crimson asked as he began to run through the hall.

The comms were silent.

" _Jett, Doakes do either of you read us?"_ Crimson heard Orpheus asked.

" _I don't like this guys, if they're in the same are but not replying then they could be hurt."_ Roane said through the comm.

" _Double time it you two. We need to make sure they're ok."_ Orpheus ordered.

 _Shattered Hollow Club Hideout – Main Floor_

Team ORCJ arrived at the main floor together as they searched for signs of their teammate and Doakes. Scanning the room Roane saw a body laying face-down and ran over to it.

"It's Jett!" he exclaimed turning the body over.

The young aeromancer was unconscious but alive. He showed little bruising and his weapons were only a few feet away from him. Crimson and the others looked around for signs of what had happened to him.

"Up there, the VIP area. See where the glass is shattered. He was probably thrown from there and landed down here." Crimson stated.

"Eagle Eye, this is Omega-Two. We've found Omega-Five but Omega-One is not here. Are you sure his comms transponder puts him here?" Orpheus asked.

Crimson gathered Jett's weapons from the ground as the team secured the area.

" _Affirmative Omega-Two. The instruments put him a few yards away from you. You should actually be able to-"_

The transmission was suddenly cut as their radios began blaring feedback.

The teenagers immediately ripped the comms from their ears and threw them down.

"Damn, I was hoping to pick you off one by one until only the target remained." The young men heard Doakes' voice echo throughout the room.

"Doakes, what the hell are you doing?" Orpheus asked as he drew an arrow from his quiver.

"My mission of course. I've been assigned a target to recover or kill if necessary. I dispatched Jett without harming him since needless bloodshed is something I try to avoid." Doakes voice explained.

"You're a cop, why are you attacking innocents?" Roane asked.

"I may be a cop now, but I was a soldier first. I fought in two wars and countless battles. How was I rewarded when my service ended though?" Doakes questioned Team ORCJ.

"You're part of the Bleeding Hand, you think the government screwed you." Crimson answered.

"I don't **think** anything child. I know they did." Doakes spat back angrily.

"That doesn't explain why you're after us." Orpheus stated.

"Not you as a group, just one of you. My orders are to take Crimson Carmine, alive if possible dead if not." Doakes explained.

"Why Crimson, because he's our strongest fighter?" Orpheus questioned.

Doakes laughed before finally appearing.

"Crimson has been given something my commanding officer has wanted for a long time now, the source of Tenebrous Tauron's power." Doakes answered.

Roane and Orpheus looked at Crimson with confusion on their faces.

"Crimson, what's he talking about? What power did you get?" Roane asked his teammate while refusing to take his attention from Doakes.

"He means Seiryu, the spirit dragon. It's the living embodiment of ninety-nine fighters. Tenebrous is its current host and he's been training me to become the next one." Crimson explained.

"Tenebrous selfishly keeps all that power to himself when he should use it to better the kingdom and its soldiers." Doakes almost shouted as anger filled his voice.

"You don't even know about the power. Who are you to judge him?" Crimson asked as he noticed his weapon strapped to Doakes' back.

"We know that Seiryu is one of the oldest and strongest of all dust spirits. Ninety-nine lives have been imbued inside it. Imagine if we could replicate that power to all the members of the Bleeding Hollow. No one would be able to stand against us." Doakes said with a slightly persuasive tone.

"Couldn't you just give your soldiers a tattoo like Tenebrous?" Orpheus asked.

Doakes laughed and looked to Crimson with an expectant expression.

"Dust tattoo application is an archaic technique. There aren't many who practice it. Besides creating a tattoo from scratch wouldn't make it as powerful as one that had been hosted numerous times. Even supposing that the lives were sacrificed and passed on the reason why Seiryu is so powerful is because of the amount of time it spent in each host. It was able to feed off of ninety-nine full lives and in turn gain the powers of those fighters." Crimson explained.

"With all that power though, Tenebrous could destroy the kingdom." Orpheus stated.

"There is a downside to having that much power in one container. Releasing it puts massive strain on the body. If Tenebrous was ever to get serious the output would kill him in a matter of minutes." Crimson elaborated.

"Didn't Malyganya say that Professor T was Tenebrous Tauron?" Roane asked as Doakes began to pace in front of them.

"He is, but for the most part he doesn't like to be referred that way." Crimson answered.

"Doakes, you know we can't just hand Crimson over to you." Orpheus said as he stood and pointed his weapon at the older man.

"I know that. Still I'll give you the chance to surrender." Doakes told them as he drew his sword.

The exoskeleton went into combat mode as the helmet formed over Doakes' head and face.

The three members of ORCJ looked at one another before nodding.

"Not a chance, we're going to take you down and bring you in." Roane said before loosing an arrow.

 _Link established._ Orpheus sent a telepathic message to the others as he activated his semblance. Immediately he could feel the status of his friends. They weren't in bad shape but they weren't at full strength either. This fight would be tough. Orpheus immediately began focusing his aura to Jett to speed up his recovery and wake the young swordsman up.

Crimson ran in first as Roane provided cover fire. Doakes was in motion immediately, blocking the arrows with the shield function of his left arms variable weapon ability. He and Crimson clashed near the middle of the room with a string of blows. Crimson avoided the slash to his chest and countered with to punches to Doakes' chest.

Doakes tried to hit Crimson with his shield but again the teenage fighter avoided the blow. This time however crimson climbed on top of Doakes using the older man's leg and arms as steps before pulling his sword from the terrorist's back. Orpheus saw that Crimson was equipped and smirked.

 _Formation: Bane of the Nevermore!_ Orpheus commanded as he notched the arrow from earlier into his bow. Crimson cried out and swung his sword as hard as he could. Doakes raised his shield and blocked the strike but was lifted off the ground and thrown into the air.

Orpheus released his arrow and pulled out two more before firing them as well. The first arrow caught Doakes in a small contained cyclone while the next two exploded and sent the man crashing into a nearby pillar.

 _Aim of Hawkeye, Archer's Delight_ the silent command was issued. Because the team was linked the thought traveled from Orpheus to the others instantaneously. He didn't have to use verbal ques and give their target a chance to counter. The team had practiced their formations over and over until they were able to move as a unit without Orpheus having to use Link to its fullest.

Although the full output of his semblance increased their overall aptitude it also shortened the time they could stay connected since Orpheus acted as an aura battery and provided them with extra reserves of stamina. Roane fired first sending a stream of black and red arrows at Doakes. Orpheus joined in seconds later and sent a bundle of four arrows into the center of Roane's arrow stream.

The attacks hit simultaneously and erupted as explosive shocks of electricity around Doakes. Doakes crashed to the ground but was up in seconds, seemingly unaffected by the combination of attacks. Charging Roane, Doakes tried to cut the bowman but his sword was blocked by Crimson's own blade. The two pushed against one another in a blade lock but Doakes got the upper hand as he raised his left arm and changed it from shield to machinegun.

Letting loose with a flurry of rounds the Bleeding Hand agent peppered Crimson with multiple shots. Roane back-flipped and began to rain arrows down from above but these did little to penetrate the exoskeleton. Roane had avoided using powerful arrows out of concern for Crimson and clenched his teeth in anger.

 _Tiger's Tempest!_ Crimson and Roane heard the command. At first they were confused but they trusted Orpheus and went into motion.

Crimson separated his sword into its dual form and with the free blade sliced upwards as hard as he could. As his blade struck Doakes, Crimson felt a soft swirl of wind surround them and seconds later Doakes was thrown backwards and into the stage near the back of the room. Crimson looked to the side and saw Jett standing awkwardly with his left hand outstretched with a pained grin on his face.

"You didn't think I'd let you guys have all the fun now, did you?" Jett asked as he readied his swords.

Doakes struggled to stand but was hit from either side by explosive arrows that threw him to the ground again. He looked up and say Orpheus to his left and Roane to his right. In front of him stood both Crimson and Jett. Doakes smiled beneath his mask and got back to his feet.

"Doakes, give it up. You can't beat us on your own." Orpheus warned.

"Never say never." Doakes answered.

Quickly point his left arm at Orpheus, Doakes changed to his plasma cannon and shot the bowman backwards. Crimson and Jett moved in at that moment while Roane began to fire arrows at Doakes. The arrows were ineffective as Doakes rolled and avoided them before producing a plasma sword from his left hand. He clashed with both Crimson and Jett in a six-bladed sword lock.

Pushing the two dual-wielding swordsmen away Doakes openly attacked them with a split kick to their chests as he twirled and shot at Roane in the same motion before landing in a crouch. Jett recovered first and swung his blades at Doakes with deadly efficiency.

The strikes broke through Doakes' hasty guard and struck his exoskeleton three times before Crimson join in and hit four more times. Doakes grunted in pain as Crimson's heavier blades actually dug through the suit and into his body, shredding the skin beneath. Jett followed up by slipping his blades into the cuts and stabbing the vulnerable areas with precision strikes.

Jumping away from the combat Doakes tried to get his bearings but was caught off guard by a barrage of arrows, courtesy of Orpheus who had recovered from the plasma round. Doakes was sent crashing to the side where Roane was waiting for him. Rather than fire at him with arrows though Roane opted to beat Doakes with his bow as a staff.

Doakes blocked most of the strikes and even countered with a few sword strikes on Roane, cutting the teenage archer before kicking him away. As he turned to engage the rest of Team ORCJ, Doakes was able to block Crimson and Jett's attacks against him.

 _ **Running program: Overdrive .exe  
**_

Doakes pushed Jett and Crimson to opposite sides splitting them apart with sheer force before he began attacking. First he struck Jett, who was on his left with an overhead slash before cutting across the young man's abdomen. Then he struck out to his right and hit Crimson with a kick to the stomach and a diagonal cut across the chest.

Hitting Jett with another overhead strike Doakes simultaneously struck Crimson with a backslash across the arm. From the backslash motion Doakes spun and hit Jett with his fist while kicking out against Crimson. Dazed, the two teenage swordsmen were left wide open as Doakes stabbed each of them in the shoulder.

Jett was stabbed with the solid sword, held in Doakes' right hand while Crimson was stabbed with the plasma sword, attached to the left. Arms crossed Doakes pulled the swords from each young man and hit them in the face with the opposing elbow that they had been stabbed from before slashing down across their bodies and finishing with twin uppercut punches to their chins. As the two of them flew back a few feet Doakes became aware of Orpheus and how the leader of Team ORCJ hadn't moved since attacking him after the recovery attack.

Looking around Doakes tried to locate the bowman.

"HAPPY FEET!" Jett suddenly cried out.

Doakes focus was broken as he turned to where Jett had been sent. The swordsman had already closed the distance between them and delivered a punishing axe-heel kick to Doakes' shoulder. Clenching his teeth in pain as his arm dislocated Doakes tried in vain to mount a defense with his other arm but found it restrained by something, or rather someone.

Crimson had grabbed him from behind and Doakes was open as Jett delivered two more kicks, enhanced by some unseen force. Spinning Crimson slammed Doakes into the ground with such force the man bounced. As he floated upwards Doakes felt Jett deliver two more enhanced kicks to his chest that sent him into the sky that was continued by Crimson with two more hits that knocked him higher into the air.

Doakes rose, helpless as Orpheus appeared, a grim look on his face. Snapping his fingers, the leader of Team ORCJ activated his trap. Arrows began to fire from the ground and explode around Doakes, knocking his body around through the air. With each explosion Doakes faintly heard Jett crying out with an "oh".

As the final explosion threw Doakes towards the VIP area he saw Roane waiting for him with a glowing arrow that was released seconds later before impacting against him. This explosion sent Doakes rocketing into the ground as his exoskeleton was all but decimated. The crater he formed upon crashing was deep. He lay there in pain as the members of Team ORCJ surrounded him.

"We should've killed him." Crimson stated looking down at Doakes while sheathing his weapon.

"No, he might have information regarding how deep Bleeding Hand has infiltrated the police force." Orpheus opposed.

Doakes laughed as he struggled to raise his right hand.

"It is over Doakes. You cannot win." Roane told the broken man.

"Maybe, but I'd die before letting you capture me." Doakes stated before slamming his hand to his chest.

There was an immediate beeping coming from the remains of the exoskeleton and the teenage huntsman-in-training all looked concerned.

"He's activated a self-destruct sequence. We have to get out of here now!" crimson told the others.

"There are innocent live still here. We have to save them." Roane immediately said.

"WE don't have enough time!" Crimson argued.

Doakes merely began to laugh as they argued amongst themselves.

Jett looked around the area and smiled before turning to the others.

"Guys, It's been an honor." He told them causing Crimson and Roane to immediately shut up.

"Jett, what are you saying?" Orpheus asked.

Jett was silent and suddenly the others felt themselves caught up in a funnel of air as they were sent towards the entrance of the club leaving Jett alone with Doakes.

"What do you think you can do by yourself?" Doakes asked as the beeping sped up.

"My semblance is wind control. I doubt I could get you out of here quick enough. You're too heavy and I'm not at full strength but what I can do is contain the explosion and spread it in a way that will allow the others to rescue whomever is alive afterwards." Jett explained as he began to summon as much wind as he could.

"Sacrifice one, for the many. You know, in another life we might have been comrades." Doakes stated with a weak smile.

"Maybe, maybe not. Unfortunately, we were-"

Jett was cut off as the self-destruct bomb went off.

 _Outside Shattered Hollow Club Hideout_

Roane, Orpheus, and Crimson crashed onto the ground in a heap. Rushing to their feet the trio tried to run back to the club. They were a few yards away when they heard the explosion inside. While the club itself should've exploded as well all they saw were minor fires begin to break out.

"JETT!" Roane, Orpheus, and Crimson all cried out in concern.

They could do nothing but watch however. They heard the sound of an aerial craft approach and minutes later they were surrounded by various special forces police. Roane dropped to his hands and knees, numb to the world. Orpheus was frozen, this scene so familiar to one from an earlier time in his life. Only Crimson remained composed, or at least put on the mask of composure as he answered the questions the officers asked them.

On a rooftop a few buildings away four figures stood. One of them observed the scene through the scope of a rifle.

"Corporal Lionheart, Doakes failed to secure the target." The man with the rifle informed his leader.

"Unfortunate, but he avoided capture so he stuck by our code. Andersmith, get me a list of replacements to fill in the vacant spot for our squad." Lionheart commanded the woman to her left.

Andersmith nodded in acknowledgement before pulling out a large scroll-like device.

"The target has been made aware of our presence, the general won't be too happy about that." Said a man immediately to Lionheart's right.

"Probably not but we complete our missions or die trying that is the Kamikaze Five way. As long as we complete the mission before Tenebrous can interfere we still have a chance to succeed." Lionheart said.

Andersmith brought her device over to Lionheart and showed her a list of candidates. Smiling Lionheart, clasped Andersmith on the shoulder.

"Alright squad, we're moving out. Recon is over now we plan our attack."

* * *

Revision A/N: OK so my anon community of readers have been very vocal about the first posting of this chapter and their thoughts regarding it. For the most part everyone loved the chapter as a whole, the thing that peeved everyone though was the portrayal of Crimson, who at this point has become the most popular character in the story. How this happened I do not know.

First off, Crimson did **not** get his ass beat. He was outnumbered two to one with skilled fighters and was told not to use his abilities because he could not fully control them. Also Crimson is not a straight fighter, he relies more on stealth and instant kill strikes. He was weaponless and had to fight in a manor he wasn't used too.

This information comes from both me and Crimson's creator who I frequently talk with regarding his OC so it is legit "Word of God". If Crimson had continued his fight with the shield guy, then he would have won no if, ands, or buts about it. The attack he used merely winded him because his body isn't used to such power.

Many of you believe that I purposely styled the fight in a way that diminished Crimsons abilities and for that I apologize. The core concept of Crimsons character is his growth from being merely a weapon to actually having humanity.

To Anon-Exodia if you're reading this, then the next bit is for you. What you have to realize is that Crimson is still basically a child compared to the enemies he has fought. He's only seventeen where as the first fight he lost was against Tenebrous, a grown man. His fight against Malyganya was only a loss by points not be him being actually defeated. His "ass beating" as you and many other have put it also came from two grown men.

Don't get me wrong however, Crimson is strong. In a one on one fight against many of the other students of the academy and maybe a few adults he could win especially now that he has access to Seiryu. The reason I give hints to his OP status isn't for his sake but for the sake of the characters around him. His team all want to be like him. If he was boss mode all the time, then there'd be no point to writing his character or any of his fights because he would always win and there really be no conflict.

The "restraints" I give him are explained to show why he may lose in some situations. His match against Tenebrous was obvious since Tenebrous outclasses everyone who has been revealed so far. The match against Malyganya while not showcased was explained as a loss not by actually being defeated but by a points decision. This fight against "fodder" as you put it wasn't a loss for him either.

He is still getting used to the power he acquired and he was unarmed which has already been shown to be a handicap to him. The two people he fought weren't even fodder. Roane explained that there were some heavy hitters within the complex and Crimson just happened to run into two of them.

As stated in the beginning had the fight continued Crimson would have come out victorious. I needed a way to bring Doakes back into the story however so I modified the fight to have him take the man out without taking away too much of the spotlight from Crimson.

To Anon-The Dark Lord, Crimson's hype is not done. It still has more to go trust me. The more I write and the more reactions I get to see Crimson the more I try to shape certain events around his character without breaking the entire flow of the story. Right now Crimson is not at his full potential. What you and the other readers must understand is that it's only been about three or four months since the story started.

I don't explicitly state the time skips but rather show the passage of time through subplots and character progress. ORCJ's theme is that as a whole they are the outsiders. The team could have gotten more exposure this chapter but what I wanted to show was more individual growth and the interactions they had outside of combat but still in a tense situation.

Anon-Ice Queen, I don't even know with you. Just wow. Everything you're talking about I've already explained but the amount of feels you have is simply amazing. I apologize that it seemed the way it did but I for real cut like an entire three thousand to five thousand words off the chapter. Maybe going ahead I'll just stick to unedited original drafts.

Anon-Zuko your review was the most irritating but in a positive way. I really want to know what about the chapter made you lose ORCJ feels. You didn't specify a character you said ORCJ as a team. I honestly wrote them all to the best of their current abilities. They all won their fights and the ending team special was amazing if I do say so myself.

To all my other anon reviewers I'm glad to see some of you were able to spot the references made throughout the chapter. I throw out references to a multitude of series in every chapter I write but when someone mentions them in a review I just smile and nod with both pride and satisfaction.


	32. Epilogue

RWBY: Paths of Light and Dark

Epilogue

A/N: For a long time, I was truly at a loss for words with everyone's reaction to the revision. Just fucking wow, I can't even begin to describe the amount of appreciation I feel from all my readers. I wish I could give you all the individual thanks you deserve but for now I'll let you read the chapter and give you my heartfelt thanks.

A/N: Also I'm looking for a fairly talented artist to draw me a picture of some of the characters in the story. I'd use them for the cover of this and/or my profile pic. If anyone can help on this front send me a PM.

A/N: The poll will be closed the day after tomorrow so get your votes in while you can.

* * *

 _Gorsentine Police Headquarters – night of the event_

Team ORCJ was silent the entire ride back. Crimson looked at his teammates but couldn't bring himself to speak. Surprisingly, it was Roane who had broken down the most out of the three of them. Crimson knew of Roane's feelings for Jett but he also knew that Roane was able to keep his calm. This however was broken when the tears had come.

Orpheus hadn't said a word. He just stared off into space. Crimson couldn't get a read on Orpheus' feelings or thoughts and it disturbed him. Usually Orpheus was an open book for him. Crimson sighed as the transport landed on the stripe provided. After he had answered all the questions he could, Crimson and his teammates had been evacuated from the area while emergency forces were routed to the site.

The transport ship opened its doors and silently Team ORCJ left with their escorts. AS they walked the halls the teenagers saw that some of the other teams had also returned. Crimson caught sight of a green hair faunus girl sitting off to the side. It was Henrietta Jade, from team SPHR. She had a similar expression on her face like Roane. Crimson knew then, that their team wasn't the only one to experience a tragedy.

"Crimson, Orpheus, Roane!" Taz Argent's voice called out to them from the front. The faunus in question was running at them with his teammates in tow.

"Where's Jett?" Taz asked breathlessly, although the expression on his face told them he already knew.

"We heard that you guys were betrayed by your officer. Is it true, did Jett die?" Layla asked and although she tried to hide it Crimson could see the tears that threatened to fall.

"We won't know for sure until they are done searching the club. He may have survived. The explosion would've been bigger if Jett hadn't stayed behind." Orpheus answered.

"How do you know that?" Malyganya asked looking Orpheus in the eye.

"I just do; Jett wouldn't have forced us to safety if he wasn't confident he could do something to stop the bomb from killing the people inside. You'll see, they CSI guys will find him…they'll find something." Orpheus said, whispering the last part.

"Team ORCJ, you're to follow us for debriefing. Your handler, Eagle Eye has been detained for questioning." The teens heard the Commissioners voice speak from the side.

The man had a few security personnel with him and looked upset, to say the least. Orpheus looked at Team MTAL and smiled slightly before motioning for Roane and Crimson to follow him. The three young men walked together with the Commissioner and his men down the hall.

This night had changed them. As they walked each one of them knew that they had left something behind, had lost something. Jett was dead, as far as they knew. They knew the circumstantial babble Orpheus had given Team MTAL was blind hope.

With Jett's death though Orpheus left behind his doubts and uncertainties. He had lost someone again but this time he wouldn't wallow in the death. He'd use the pain and make himself stronger, force himself to be better because it was the only way to prevent anyone else in his life from dying. The price paid was the loss of his best friend.

Jett's death had forced Roane to leave behind his empathy and emotions. He was always there for others with a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen too. He would never get the chance to tell Jett his feelings and the pain of that was too much. Everyone looked to Roane as a pillar of support but now the pillar had crumbled. Roane had lost hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Crimson was unsure of the tightness he felt within himself. He had never lost someone before. With Jett' passing Crimson had been forced to leave behind his solidarity. This tightness was uncomfortable and he knew that as with all things it would pass but he didn't want to feel it again. He need to protect his teammates, his friends. Crimson's loss wasn't apparent to him at the moment and he didn't dwell on the unpleasantness of Jett's passing as he and his team passed through the doors to the debriefing room.

 _Deserted Shattered Hollow Club Hideout – The following morning of the event_

The cleanup crews inside the club pushed away debris as they inspected the various areas of the club. The inside was surprisingly intact. They had been given information that one of the volunteers sacrificed themselves to contain the explosion of ex-officer Doakes' exoskeleton. The explosion from the specs they had pulled on the exoskeleton should have leveled the block but it had somehow been dispersed and contained haphazardly within the building. So far they had found three barely living survivors as well as various body pieces from the explosion.

The crew followed the maps that had been provided to them before heading towards the hidden stairwell that would lead them to the basement and possible more survivors. They were told to be on the lookout for a child-aged individual tied up with an older man. The child was severely injured and would need excessive treatment they had been told.

Walking down the stairs the group came upon a room that was littered with bodies. Some of them were dead, but they were able to make the form of the child. What surprised them though was that she was untied and alone.

 _Hidden Laboratory – two days after the event_

Lance was livid, not upset or angry, livid. The scientist glared at Sasayaki hoping his expression alone would kill the young man. Sasayaki just stared at the scientist with slight confusion.

"Are you angry?" He asked.

"Sasayaki there is no word in any spoken or written language that can describe my feelings right now. A quantum supercomputer calculating for eternity could not even begin to approach the amount of negative emotions I feel for you at this very moment." Lance answered as he restrained himself for lashing out and killing the agent.

"I think we may have broken Lance." Sasayaki whispered to his left.

It took all of Lance's willpower not to scream at Sasayaki's behavior. Exhaling slowly Lance forced himself to calm down. He made a mental note to expel his pent up frustrations later but for now he had to deal with the situation at hand.

"Sasayaki, do you recall what the Deacon Protocol is for?" Lance asked.

Sasayaki smiled and nodded.

"Everyone knows that one Doc. The Deacon Protocol is a set of procedures and rules regarding the activation, acquisition, and assassination of sleeper agents with the organization." Sasayaki answered.

"That is more or less correct, so explain to me why instead of your assigned target you brought back this misshapen and half-living **thing**?" Lance questioned putting heavy emphasis on the final word.

"Do you think we should tell him?" Sasayaki asked the air looking to his right.

"Answer my question Sasayaki." Lance demanded and plant-like limbs began to grow from his back.

"Calm down brother." Lance heard Magress' voice speak from his right.

Turning to face his sibling, Lance retracted his limbs and sighed.

"What do you want Magress?" Lance asked none too happy about the situation he was in.

"Does one's own brother need a reason to visit?" Magress asked with a playful tone in his voice.

"I don't have time for games today. Selena had me activate the Deacon Protocols but Sasayaki took it upon himself to break those protocols. Not only did he not activate his target, he brought back something useless." Lance informed Magress pointing to the barely breathing remains of a person that were held inside some kind of chamber.

Magress tilted his head to the side as he inspected the person.

"Third and fourth degree burns over the remains of his body. Left arm gone from the shoulder down with the right arm is relatively intact. His legs are missing from about half the thigh down if I'm estimating this correctly." Magress voiced his observations.

"Sasayaki should have left him to die. Look at that chest cavity. It's all blown to hell. I don't even see how he's still breathing after the extensive damage he's taken." Lance stated shaking his head.

"Oh, and your scientific curiosity wasn't aroused by this phenomenon?" Magress questioned.

"Of course it was Magress but I can't take him out of the chamber to study him. The fluids in there are the only thing keeping his heart and brain functioning." Lance explained.

"His physical and mental tenacity are formidable. I'd suggest using your abilities and repairing him, but only to the point where you can study how he is able to survive those horrific wounds. The study could prove useful for your immortality research." Magress spoke with a slight shrug.

Lance thought about the information given and the information had yet to acquire.

"Think also of the long term benefits. If you can turn him into a viable Deacon and send him back to his original occupancy, then we'd have someone close to Selena's great-granddaughter. We could show those Licht bastards they aren't as untouchable as they believe or just gain Selena's favor by having a deacon as her relative's personal protector." Magress added.

"Your argument is sound." Lance stated simply after a few minutes before turning to Sasayaki.

"You, go find Serin. I'll need her mechanical expertise. Tell her we have another candidate for Project Halcyon." Lance issued the command to Sasayaki, almost forgetting the amount of stress the young agent had given him only minutes before.

Sasayaki nodded and in a slightly disturbing manner sunk into his shadow on the ground before slithering out of the room.

The brothers looked at each other before looking back at the person in the tank.

"Computer, start a log for this project. Day One: Subject number thirty-six, Juliet-Victor for Project Halcyon has been chosen." Lance spoke as the coding for the subject appeared at the top of the tank.

"Well then brother, I'll leave you to your work." Magress said before turning to leave the lab.

"JV36, you will spill all your secrets and show me the path to immortality." Lance stated as he placed his hand on the front of the chamber, thoughts of what information the project and experimentation would yield filling his mind.

 _Gorsentine Police Headquarters – three days after the event_

"We have concluded after various testing of the samples found that the only remains of Jett Volus, are some teeth and parts of his left arm. The remainder of his corpse has been ruled, destroyed in the explosion." The coroner told Team ORCJ.

They weren't surprised. They knew that there was little to no chance Jett had survived but having it confirmed didn't make the young men feel any better.

"He was using his semblance to contain the explosion which resulted in whatever aura he had for defensive purposes to be extinguished. His body, if the arm's condition is any indication, is likely to have suffered various burning before disintegrating." The coroner continued.

"So he was alive while this happened?" Roane asked, his usually bright attitude replaced with a sullen and brooding demeanor.

"Based on all the evidence gathered Jett Volus was alive and able to stop the explosion from claiming more lives." The coroner answered.

"That's not what I fucking meant and you know it. Did he…did Jett…suffer?" Roane asked angrily.

"If he did, I'm sure it was brief. The nerves would've been destroyed beyond the point of him being able to feel pain. Take solace in the fact that your friend saved the lives of many innocent people in the city. Had the explosion gone unchecked the fires it spread might've claimed more than the few dozen lives that were taken." The coroner tried to console the young men in front of her.

Roane laughed dryly but stopped after catching a look from Orpheus.

"Thank you, we appreciate the information. Please send his remains to the academy with the others. Headmistress Marsa, has told us there's to be a funeral service in honor of those who lost their lives to this tragic event." The matured Orpheus stated with a short head bow.

Crimson and Roane looked to their leader before following him out of the room.

"That Sasayaki guy escaped. He has the ability to merge with shadows. I'm sure he used it to escape." Orpheus said as the trio walked the semi-deserted halls.

"That doesn't help us with anything Orpheus." Roane shot.

"Jett died to save those people, even though they were criminals. It would be disrespectful if we let one of them go free. Besides Sasayaki said some things while we fought that I never told the officers." Orpheus said to his teammates.

"Something like what?" Crimson asked.

"He mentioned something called 'Deacon Protocols' which might be a plan the Shattered Hollow has initiated. I say we investigate this on our own. Find Sasayaki and bring him to justice for Jett." Orpheus told the other boys.

Roane grinned, slightly demented and crooked at the thought avenging Jett. Crimson touched the handle to Jett's chakram. Only one of the weapons had been found and it was damaged. Crimson carried it as a memento to Jett and closed his eyes before nodding in agreement. The trio were in agreement as they exited the building to the murky day ahead of them.

 _Valethornia Academy – five days after the event_

Headmistress Marsa Malachite paced back and forth. Of the six teams that had been volunteered to help the police force only three of them had come back relatively unscathed. Every member of Team YLWW had been killed, caught in an ambush and slaughtered like cattle. Team SPHR had lost two members with a third so critically injured Marsa was unsure they'd ever recover. Only one of its members was fit for duty, physically at least. Team ORCJ had also lost a teammate. They're teammate had sacrificed themselves to save almost two dozen others.

"This is the Valethornian way." Marsa muttered to herself, the words bittersweet in her mouth.

She had warned them. During the start of the term she warned them that death was a possibility, that they would be pushed to their limits as the instructors did their best to break the students. Marsa couldn't shake the feeling of guilt she felt however since she knew their deaths would be on her hands. The door to her office opened and Marsa recognized the presence immediately.

"Professor T, what can I do for you?" the older woman asked without turning around.

"The funeral for the students is about to start mam." The man said, the slight edge in his voice not lost upon Marsa.

"Do you hate me for their deaths?" she asked.

"No, they knew what they were getting into." T answered.

Marsa turned around and saw the instructor dressed in black. He wore a black pinned suit and his weapons were gone. Instead of his usual blindfold T was wearing black sunglasses.

Marsa could tell it was the subtle things that made him angry but if she wasn't his target then what was? The thought was lodged in her mind as she and her escort began to walk the deserted hallways.

"I hate funerals." T suddenly said.

"They aren't pleasant, that's for sure." Marsa said in response.

"No, I mean my attitude. I've never liked seeing friends lowered into those holes." T elaborated.

Marsa looked over at the younger adult and tilted her head slightly in confusion. Here was one of the most proficient hunters of his generation and it seemed that unlike the legends surrounding him T was actually human beneath it all. Marsa smiled at the realization and wrapped her arm around T's own. The duo made it from the academy to the cemetery where they buried students and faculty in a matter of minutes.

The entire academy had been called to attend, mandatory for the first-year students but optional for the others. Marsa looked at the plots with the caskets waiting to be lowered. She knew from the reports she had been given that two of the caskets were empty because the remains that had been found didn't warrant a burial.

Standing in front of the students Marsa scanned their faces. Some were crying while others stared ahead blankly.

"Death." Marsa began catching everyone's attention.

"Death, comes to each and every living thing eventually. I could stand here and console you. I could try to scare you. I won't do either one of those things." Marsa continued sighing heavily.

"I have been headmistress of this academy for many years now. I have watched my treasured friends and precious student give their lives for the kingdom. I have spoken at many funerals and heard speeches from both those high in power and those without any." Marsa spoke and as she did a new light began to shine within her students.

"Losing their lives in defense of the kingdom, that is how your friends and classmates should be remembered. They weren't ordered to the front lines, they volunteered themselves to keep the citizens safe. Live by their example and exceed their performance. There is greatness in all of you just as there is greatness in those who have already passed." Marsa voice grew as she captured her audience with her words.

"Although they're gone don't mourn their passing. Praise their lives and carry on knowing that their spirits are looking down upon you all." The headmistress finished.

Stepping down Marsa went to her seat as one of the religious leaders from the capital performed the last rites on the departed. The students were allowed to walk past the caskets and say their final words. Down the line Crimson Carmine stood with Roane Grant. The duo had both stood up and joined other students who wanted to pay their final respects.

As they came upon the casket that had been assigned to Jett crimson pulled out the damaged chakram his ex-teammate had used. He also pulled out a duplicate chakram, newer and undamaged.

"May the winds carry your spirit high into the sky Jett." Crimson said softly before laying the new chakram across the casket.

He would continue to keep the memento until they had caught Sasayaki. Only then could Crimson release himself from the chains he felt on his spirit. Roane walked up next and laid a full bundle of various flowers on the casket.

"Jett, you'll never know how I felt about you deep down. You were my friend and comrade. Every day with you was a day in the light but now the world is a little darker without you here. We'll miss you Jett." Roane spoke before following after Crimson.

The two teammates climbed a nearby mound where they saw Orpheus standing and facing out towards the forest horizon. Orpheus' dress jacket was opened and billowed slightly in the breeze as he closed his eyes against the wind.

"What were you able to find out?" Roane asked leaning against the trunk of a half-chopped tree.

"There are more cells of Shattered Hollow in the capitol. One of them is a major recruiting camp. I say that's where we hit first. They're likely to have records of their members." Orpheus answered.

"We can start the recon tonight. With the funeral happening the security should be a bit lax than normal." Crimson stated.

"Sounds like a plan, let's do it." Roane stated throwing his fist towards the middle of his teammates.

"For Jett." Roane said looking to the other two.

"For Jett." Orpheus repeated before putting his fist to Roane's.

"For Jett." Crimson finished as he mirrored their action.

 _Hidden Laboratory – ten days since the event_

Lance pulled a small scalpel from the tray next to him. He was in the operating chamber of his laboratory. With him was a blue haired woman. She had fins protruding from head that were barely noticeable through her hair. Both were wearing surgical masks and gloves as they continued to work on their test subject.

"Look at that Serin, even though we have stopped the oxygen flow from the machines JV32 still continues to breath. It is almost as if it is producing its own air, on a subconscious level no less." Lance observed as he watched the lungs expand and contract.

"Lance, the subject's heartrate is starting to drop. I'd suggest we continue with the techno-organic cybernetic grafting process. You can observe this phenomenon under controlled circumstances at a later time." The woman, Serin commented as she picked up a large drill and revved it twice.

"If I weren't in need of your services I'd have thrown you out for that, but you're right." Lance agreed before focusing back on the operation.

 _Valethornia Academy – fourteen days after the event_

Orpheus stood at the top of the stairs of a deserted hallway. The faint echo of footsteps brought his attention to the landing below him. The echo became solid and Orpheus smiled as the person coming continued to climb the stairs to him. Turning his back to the staircase Orpheus leaned against the railing and closed his eyes.

"I almost thought you wouldn't come." Orpheus said as the footsteps stopped.

"You're my friend Orpheus, why wouldn't I come?" Malyganya's voice spoke.

Orpheus turned and looked down at the target of his affections. His thoughts of the first confession surfaced before being crushed by his will. No, he wasn't the wavering child from before. He had pushed himself since then and Jett's death had only steeled his resolve.

"Do you remember our match all those months ago?" Orpheus asked as Malyganya made her way next to him.

Malyganya was silent but replied with a nodding of her head.

"I'm finally resolved enough to show you my true feelings." Orpheus said looking Malyganya in the eye.

"Orpheus, are you doing this because of Jett?" the young woman asked as she moved some of her hair from her face.

"Yes, and no." Orpheus answered before pulling Malyganya's body close to his.

"I'm not coming to you with half-baked emotions or a weakened resolve. I'm going to show you my true feelings with one act." Orpheus told Malyganya.

Before Malyganya could ask what the act was Orpheus embraced her softly. His hands cupped her face tenderly as he kissed her lips with his own. Malyganya wasn't a stranger to affections. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Orpheus's neck pulling the young man closer and deepening their kiss.

As he kissed Malyganya, Orpheus felt a memory from his past rush to the surface of his mind.

 _ **Eurydice stood with a young man. The two were gazing at one another before kissing passionately. Young Orpheus watched the strange action with confusion on his face. When his sister broke away from the man there was a bright smile upon her face. She broke away and ran to her brother while the young man waved and left.**_

" _ **Eurydice what was that?" Orpheus ask as he picked up the small practice bow Eurydice had made for him.**_

" _ **What was what Orpheus?" Eurydice asked with a hint of confusion.**_

" _ **That thing you and Aristaeus did." Orpheus elaborated while Eurydice helped him with his stance.**_

" _ **Oh that, silly Orpheus, that was a kiss." Eurydice answered with a bell-like laugh.**_

" _ **What's a kiss?" Orpheus asked, his question full of child-like curiosity.**_

 _ **Eurydice was silent as she thought of a response, smiling softly before answering.**_

" _ **A kiss is an action that is done without words, without thought, and with so much love. It is a symbol of an invisible bond between two humans, and links them together no matter how far they are apart from one another. After you've had your first good one, no other person can compare to whom ever gave you it."**_ _**The mature young woman replied but this only confused her brother further.**_

" _ **I don't get all of that but it must be a good thing right, like a treasure?" Orpheus asked.**_

 _ **Eurydice smiled and nodded.**_

" _ **The most precious treasure in the world"**_

As the memory ended Orpheus broke away from the kiss. Malyganya's eyes opened slowly and were a swirl of emotions. Orpheus wasn't daunted however and continued to wait for her response.

Unbeknownst to the duo, they were being watched from a distance. As the bell rang, drowning out Malyganya's response to the eavesdropper, what could be noticed was the fist-sized dent left in a nearby wall as students began to shuffle into the hallway.

 _Iselia Forest – nineteen days after the event_

Layla Yuki punched her fist through another Grimm. Shed had been coming into the forest for the past few nights now. She fought Grimm that were attracted to her. From the time the first punch was thrown until first light Layla fought and fought and fought. She never gave herself time to rest as she sought out grim to kill.

"Weren't you the one who said you didn't care what choice she made as long as you could stay by her side." Layla heard Taz Argent's voice say from her left.

Turning to the sound Layla saw that both Taz and Amber were there and dressed for combat.

"I'm not in the mood Taz." Layla spat and turned to leave.

She was stopped as a bolt of electricity struck the ground in front of her. Layla turned slowly and saw Taz had a serious expression on his face. Amber removed her circlet and clipped it to her waist. Layla saw the girl transform and narrowed her eyes at Rebma appeared.

"Your behavior is self-destructive. Confront Malyganya and let her know how you feel. Don't let the fear of the unknown keep you from making a move." Rebma said as she drew her spears.

"What would you know, what the hell do either of you know?!" Layla yelled as she rushed towards her teammates.

She was stopped almost immediately as Taz forced electricity inside her body to paralyze her and Rebma used her brute strength to restrain her.

"We know you love Malyganya. We know you saw her and Orpheus kiss and now you're avoiding her like she has some kind of disease. You don't know the full story and even if you don't like the how it ends, Malyganya deserves better than how you are treating her. Get your shit together Layla or get the fuck out." Taz almost shouted before signaling Rebma to release their friend.

The two left Layla a few moments later. Layla lay on the ground and stared up at the starry sky. Hearing movement to her left Layla sighed and sat up.

"If you guys came to give me another lecture, forget it." She said looking to the side.

Instead of Rebma and Taz though Malyganya walked towards her. The leader of Team MTAL sat down next to her teammate and the duo stared up at the sky in silence.

"It's a beautiful night you know." Malyganya said breaking their silence.

"I suppose so, why are you here?" Layla asked, her voice soft and meek.

"You're my friend Layla, why wouldn't I come see you?" Malyganya asked.

"After how I've treated you since-" Layla stopped herself from saying the words but Malyganya turned to her with a smile.

"Since Orpheus and I kissed. I knew you knew Layla." Malyganya said.

"What do you mean you knew?" Layla asked looking back into the sky.

"Well it was pretty obvious. You followed me most of the way but took a shortcut then watched what happened with Orpheus and myself." Malyganya explained.

"Did you kiss him to spite me then?" Layla asked through clenched teeth.

"No, I kissed him because he kissed me. He showed me his true feelings and I showed him mine." Malyganya said with a small shake of her head.

"So now what, are you two dating?" Layla huffed.

"Before I answer that, I want you to show me something Layla." Malyganya said causing Layla to turn to her.

"What do you want to see?" Layla asked as a blush appeared on her face.

"Your feelings." Malyganya answered before tackling Layla to the ground and kissing her deeply.

Layla's first instinct was to fight Malyganya off but she refrained and let her body melt into the embrace. Layla savoring the feelings both physical and emotional that she was experiencing, hoping that this moment would last forever.

 _Hidden Laboratory – twenty-three days after the event_

Lance and Serin looked at their work. Subject JV32 was completely restored. Everything that had been lost in the fire was replaced with advance techno-organic cybernetic parts. JV32 floated in its tube as various machines monitored its vital signs. There was a large circular scar on its head from where it had received cybernetic brain implants. Its muscle mass had increased by almost twenty percent of what it was before.

"Start the Halcyon system upload process as well as the Deacon protocols indoctrination procedure. With the excess genetic material JV32 has provided us, I'll begin work on new experiments." Lance told Serin.

The faunus woman smiled and turned to Lance seductively.

"All work and no play makes Lance a dull boy. We can start the processes but I think it's time you relaxed." Serin whispered licking Lances cheek playfully while pushing him into a chair..

"Serin, please control your animalistic urges." Lance told the female faunus with a tone of annoyance.

"Don't forget you came to me for help. You know my services come with a price Lance." Serin said with a dangerous edge to her voice.

Knowing that denying Serin would me possible destruction of the laboratory equipment Lance sighed and moved himself so that Serin was completely straddling him before rolling the chair over towards JV32 tank's terminal.

"Let set these commands to run then I'll give you all the pleasurable cardio you can handle." Lance told Serin as he finished typing in commands on the terminal for JV32.

What the duo didn't notice however as they walked out the room was a JV32's dark magenta eyes staring at them.

 _Valethornia Academy – One-month anniversary of the event_

Roane looked down at the headstone in front of him.

"We're getting closer Jett. Each cell, warehouse, or stronghold we take down brings us one step closer to Sasayaki." Roane said before placing his hand on the marble.

"He wouldn't want you guys to take revenge for his death." Roane heard Amber say from behind him.

"Hey Amber, what are you doing here?" Roane asked although he knew why she was here. Amber was more dedicated than the others. Every day since the funeral Amber came to their graves and prayed before leaving flowers. Roane had seen her do it but he never disturbed her and was ashamed that he only made it to Jett's grave twice since the funeral.

"I'm just here to offer their souls a prayer. Why are you claiming vengeance in Jett's name?" Amber asked.

She had matured a lot in the last month. The death of her classmates had taken away a lot of Amber's innocence. Her stutter was gone and she wasn't afraid to look people in the eye. Roane was both proud of her growth but saddened that she didn't cling to him like she used to.

"It's not vengeance. We are looking for justice. Jett sacrificed his life to save criminals and one of them escaped. All we want is to see him brought in and face justice for his crimes." Roane explained.

Amber smiled softly at his response as she finished laying flowers across the graves.

"You know you guys don't have to do this alone. You have friends who'll help." Amber told Roane as they both stood looking at Jett's headstone. He had been awarded sever posthumous commendations and awards for the prevention of civilian casualties as well as saving many of the lives within the club.

"If we need help, you guys will be the first ones we call." Roane told Amber.

It was then Amber did something that she hadn't in a long time. The small teenager hugged Roane wrapping her arms around him as best she could. Roane slowly placed his hand on her head and pet Amber softly.

"Don't lose yourself to the darkness Roane." Amber whispered softly.

 _Castellan Hill outside of Gorsentine – one-month anniversary of the event_

Malyganya and Crimson walked as the sun lowered in the distance. The two were silent, as was their custom but Crimson felt something odd about this silence. Malyganya had never called him out to do anything one on one but suddenly today of all days she chose to bring him to some far place outside the capitol.

"Crimson, why are you torturing yourself?" Malyganya suddenly asked.

Crimson tilted his head as he looked at the swordswoman with a quizzical expression.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Your tattoo, has grown exponentially this past month." Malyganya observed.

Crimson looked down at his arms. The spirit dragon tattoo had indeed begun to cover more of his body. The symbols had vanished from the back of his hands and were replaced with dragon claws. The claws had then become attached to arms which now ran up Crimson's to about halfway past his elbow.

"No matter how much power you gain now; you can't save Jett nor can you change the fact that he's gone." Malyganya spoke.

"That's not what I'm trying to do." Crimson said but as the words left his lips he felt like he had lied.

"I thought so too, at a time." Malyganya said as the wind picked up around them.

"I was a lot like you, a loner with nothing but my mission." She continued as she and Crimson crested the hill.

"So we're both loners is what you're saying." Crimson said crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, what I'm saying is this is the first time you've ever lost someone close. You're acting like me when I went through it." The young woman explained.

"Don't try to lump me with you. We may both be good fighters but I am a soldier. I was trained to not let anything interfere with my mission." Crimson told Malyganya.

"So was I but Crimson, you are also human. You have human feelings. Like everyone, you have hopes, dreams, and things you aspire for. You also have things you don't want to lose." Malyganya spoke turning to face Crimson.

As the wind blew past and threw Malyganya's hair off to the side something sparked inside of Crimson. Crimson had never doubted Malyganya's attractiveness. He had never seen her in a romantic light.

The way her hair flowed and the soft supple motions she used to remove stray strands from her face coupled with the wisps of leaves flowing around the girl compounded in an image of sublime beauty Crimson didn't know existed. The fading sunlight only enhanced the picture-esque moment as the duo locked eyes.

"A solider trained from birth to be a singular killing machine but suddenly finds he doesn't have to be. Emotions grow within and the soldier realizes he doesn't have to be a machine. Crimson I've got a question for you." Malyganya said with a slight tilt of her head looking down at the scarf-wearing young man.

"You want this power to protect your friends, but you still believe yourself to be a machine. If we were all to die do you think you might feel loss the same way we do? Tell me Crimson, would you feel lonely if you were alone?"

* * *

A/N: And now I wait. Here's my thank you replies with a personal message for each of you..

Anon-Anubis: Crimsons OC (I'm guessing you mean OC as original creator and not original character lol) is an author who goes by the handle A Foolish Dreamer. We do have a collab story that they've posted on their account. Thank you for your support and I hope to hear from you in the future.

Anon-The Bored Comic: Your insight into my writing is spectacular. You were correct when you pulled the real world alliterations I was going for. While I was personally unaware that people felt the connection I was trying to make it makes me immensely happy to know that there are those that do. I can't begin to thank you enough for the praise. I have spoken with Crimson's creator, an author who goes by the penname A Foolish Dreamer and hopefully they'll provide the feedback you and others would like to see from them. Since I don't want to spoil anything though, I unfortunately cannot divulge answers to many of your questions. I do hope however to hear back from you in the future.

Anon-Darkrai: By now I hope you're recanting your accusation for me being a murderer. I realize that everyone has feelings for all the characters and to see it expressed in such a manner makes me laugh and appreciate how well people connect to my writing style.

Anon-Devil Jin: Just, wow dude. I don't even know how to reply other than with a highly embarrassed thank you. While my writing is intense at some points I didn't think it had gotten to the level where your response was appropriate to what was happening. Still I know everyone has a different reaction to outside stimuli so I bow my head to you and thank you earnestly for your bare honesty.

Anon-Lucious: Thank you. I honestly didn't know there were so many people who enjoyed my writing. For the most part I wrote for myself but as my writing continued and I saw reactions I changed my style bit by bit and honed it into something great. I won't make the same mistake and put out something just for the sake of having it out there.

Anon-The Good Girl: I'm glad you were satisfied with the revision. I hope there was enough Malyganya in this chapter to fill the amount of time she was missing.

Anon-Darcie: CrimsXMaly is definitely one of the more vocal pairings I've heard the readers speculate about although for the life of me I can't figure out why. I don't think I've written anything (excluding this chapter) that shows them as anything more than platonic friends/rivals.

Anon-Dark Lord: Glad you liked the revision. I have sent Crimson's creator, A Foolish Dreamer your request to hear their insight to the story and Crimson's portrayal so hopefully they'll leave a review detailing that. Crimson being a target isn't that far stretched if you reread some of the earlier chapters. In fact, a lot of questions can be answered by connecting the hidden details in each chapter. In regards to listening to the anon community, I appreciate all forms of criticism as long as it's not a flame. Flaming won't help me better my writing. Everyone's initial reaction to the first posting of this chapter listed what they liked and disliked which was the main reason I was swayed to do a revision. Just because you guys are anon doesn't mean your opinions matter any less so thank you for your continued support.

Anon-Ice Queen: You, madam are probably my most entertaining anon reader. Although by now you realize that one of your observations from the previous chapter has been disproved. As for separate chapters for Crimson's training session I may put the previous ones in a side-story. Unfortunately, without A Foolish Dreamer's permission I don't have the right to make a solo story for Crimson as much as you might want me too. Who knows maybe they'll give me permission at some point.

Anon-Exodia: I can't help you with how you should be feeling, but tripping balls might be the most appropriate since I doubt anyone saw that ending coming. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.


	33. RWBY Arc II Preview

A/N: Here's a little teaser preview of the second arc which is currently in production.

 _Valethornia Academy – Twenty-one days after the event_

Malyganya sat on the window sill of the empty room overlooking the field below. The sun was going down and cast a small bronze glow over the sky. The young woman heard the door open but didn't turn around to see who had entered as a pair of footsteps made their way over to the large desk at the front of the room. Malyganya heard the soft patter as the person jumped and sat on the desk as the door opened once more and a second set of footsteps walked into the room.

Malyganya had always prided herself on being a straightforward person in both her thoughts and actions. Right now however she found her thoughts dancing around in her mind as she tried to mentally calm herself. Breathing in deeply the young huntress-in-training slowly exhaled and turned to face the two people she had called to meet her.

"Layla, Orpheus; thank you both for coming. We have a lot to talk about, or rather I have a lot to say to you both." Malyganya said to her friends as she looked then both in the eyes one after another.


End file.
